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A   NEW   WAY 


TO  WIN  A  FORTUNE. 


BY 


MISS    ELIZA   A.    DUPUT. 

1IOR   OP   "THE     DISCARDED     "WIFE."    "  WHY     DTD     HE     MARRY     TIER/'     "THE     HIDDEN    SIX,1 
'THE  CLANDESTINE  MARRIAGE,"  "THE   DETHRONED  HEIRESS,"  "THE  GIPSY'S  WARNING," 

"WAS    HE    GUILTY;    OR,    HOW    HE    DID    IT,"    "THE    MYSTERIOUS    GUEST," 
"ALL    FOR   LOVE,"    "WHO  SHALL    BE   VICTOR,"    "MICHAEL  RUDOLPH," 

"  THE  CANCELLED   WILL,"   "  THE   PLANTER'S  DAUGHTER  "  ETC.    ETC. 


Lei  not  onr  look  nf  fortune  cast  you  down  : 
Site  were  not  fortune,  if  slie  sttll  did  frown  : 
Such  as  do  bravelieM  br.ar  Tier  scorns  a  while, 
Are  those  on  whom  at  last  site  most  will  smile. 

Since,  you  will  buckle  fortune  on  my  back, 
To  bear  her  bur  dm  whether  I  will  or  no, 
J  must  have  patience  to  endure  the  load. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
T.   B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS; 

306    CHESTNUT   STREET. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1875,  by 

T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


MISS    ELIZA   A.    DUPUY'S    WOEKS. 

Each.  Work  is  complete  in  one  large  duodecimo  volume. 

A  NEW  WAT  TO   WIN  A  FORTUNE. 

THE  DISCARDED  WIFE. 

THE  MYSTERIOUS  QUEST. 

THE  HIDDEN  SIN.     A  Sequel  to  "The  Dethroned  Heiress.1' 
THE  DETHRONED  HEIRESS. 

THE  GIPSTS  WARNING. 

ALL  FOR  LOVE;  OR,  THE  OUTLAWS  BRIDE. 
THE  CLANDESTINE  MARRIAGE. 

THE  CANCELLED  WILL. 

WHO  SHALL  BE  VICTOR?  Sequel  to  "The  Cancelled  Will." 
THE  PLANTER'S  DAUGHTER. 

MICHAEL  RUDOLPH. 

WAS  HE  GUILT  J;  OR,  HOW  HE  DID  IT. 
WHY  DID  HE  MARRY  HER? 

Price  of  each,  $1.75  in  Cloth  ;  or  $1.50  in  Paper  Cover. 


Above  books  are  for  sale  by  all  Booksellers.  Copies  of  any  one, 
or  all  of  the  above  books,  will  be  sent  to  any  one,  to  any  place, 
postage  pre-paid,  on  receipt  of  their  price  by  the  Publishers, 

T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS, 

306  CHESTNUT  STREET,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter  Page 

I.—  THE    DESMONDS  .................................  21 

ii.  —  CLARE  DESMOND'S  LOVER  .......................  32 

III.—  A    PAIR    OF    PLOTTING    VILLAINS  ................  45 

IV.—  FATHER    AND    DAUGHTER  .......................  56 

V.—  LACERATED    HEARTS  ............................  67 

vi.  —  MRS.  ADAIR'S  LETTER  ..........................  77 

VII.  —  CHRISTINE    LEARNS    CLARE'S    SECRET  .............  89 

VIII.  —  THE   LOVE-CHARM  .........................  1  ....  102 

IX.  —  MR.   DESMOND    FOILED  ..........................  114 

x.  —  CLARE'S  NEW  FRIEND  ..........................  124 

XI.—  THE    DEPARTURE    FOR    RIVERDALE,  ..............  139 

xii.—  CLARE'S  RECEPTION  IN  HER  NEW  HOME  ........  151 

XIII.  —  WHO    CLAUDIA   COYLE  WAS  .......................  164 

xiv.  —  CLARE'S  NEW  ADMIRER  .........................  177 

xv.—  THE  CHEMIST'S   ROOM  ..........................  189 

xvi.—  MISS  COYLE'S  GAME  BLOCKED  ...................  201 

xvn.  —  MRS.  ADAIR'S  REVELATION  ......................  216 

XVIII.  —  NEW    FRIENDS  ..................................  229 

XIX.—  THE    BROOKE    FAMILY  ..........................  243 

XX.  —  THE     SYMPOSIUM  ...............................  255 

XXI.—  GREEK    MEETS    GREEK  ..........................  267 


20  CONTENTS. 

Chapter  Page 

XXII. — CLAUDIA    GETS    THE    TIPPER   HAND 281 

XXIII.— CKOSS    PURPOSES 294 

XXIV.— CLARE    ENSNARED 307 

XXV.— A  CONSULTATION  BETWEEN  SPIERS  AND  CLAUDIA..  319 

xxvi. — MR.  CLIFFORD'S  DISCOVERY 331 

XXVII. — THE    CHEMISTS    AT    WORK 343 

xxvin. — MRS.  HARTE'S   GAME 355 

XXIX. — CLAUDIA    VICTORIOUS 370 

XXX.— THE    LOVERS 380 

XXXI. — CLAUDIA    STRIKES    HER    BLOW 393 

XXXII.— DEATH   ENTERS   RIVERDALE 406 

xxxni. — CLARE'S  SUFFERINGS 418 

XXXIV. — MISS    BROOKE    CAUGHT    NAPPING 429 

XXXV.— THE    OLD    NURSE    EXAMINED 446 

xxxvi.— YOUNG  SEAL'S   STORY 459 

xxxvii. — JASPER'S  MISTAKE 472 

XXXVIII. — THE    ABDUCTION 485 

XXXIX. — LUCK    TURNS    AGAINST   JOHN    SPIERS 491 

XL. — THE    PURSUIT 496 

XLI. — CONCLUSION ,                                    .  507 


A  NEW  WAY  TO  WIN  A  FORTUNE. 


BY  ELIZA  A.  DUPUY. 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THE  DISCARDED  WIFE,"  "  THE  GIPSY'S  WARNING,"  ETC. 

-  4**.  - 

CHAPTER    I. 

THE  DESMONDS. 

A  COTTAGE  stood  on  the  outskirts  of  a  southern 
-*V  town,  with  wide-spread  desolate-looking  grounds 
around  it.  Land  was  of  little  value  in  that  region  ;  and 
Desmonia,  as  the  place  was  called,  had  a  domain  of  fifty 
acres  around  it,  a  few  of  which  were  cultivated  as  a 
vegetable  garden  and  corn-field,  the  rest  allowed  to  grow 
up  in  scrub  timber  and  long  grass. 

But  the  trees  that  drooped  their  patriarchal  branches 
over  the  decaying  roof  were  magnificent  giant  monarchs 
of  the  forest,  with  space  enough  left  between  them  to 
spread  out  into  a  crown  of  verdure,  which  delighted  the 
heart  of  at  least  one  of  the  dwellers  in  that  dilapidated- 
looking  house. 

That  an  indolent,  careless  man  lived  there  was  evident 
to  the  most  casual  observer  ;  and  on  a  bright  afternoon 
in  early  summer  a  view  of  the  owner  which  carried  out 

(21) 


22       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

this  impression  might  have  been  obtained,  as  he  sat  on 
the  low-roofed  veranda,  idly  smoking,  in  his  comfort- 
able but  shabby-looking  arm-chair. 

Mr.  Desmond  was  a  man  of  forty-five  years  of  age, 
but  he  looked  much  older.  Life  had  gone  hardly  with 
him,  chiefly  through  his  own  inaptitude  to  apply  him- 
self to  business  affairs ;  but  that  did  not  lessen  his 
murmurs  at  the  partiality  of  the  blind  goddess  toward 
those  more  capable  of  winning  her  smiles,  nor  give  him 
courage  to  bear  the  misfortunes  that  had  befallen  him  in 
his  career. 

He  was  not  like  Micawber,  for  he  did  not  look  for 
anything  to  turn  up  in  his  favor,  but  sat  down  to  mourn 
over  lost  opportunities  and  reconcile  himself  to  the 
belief  that  nothing  could  now  lift  himself  and  his  family 
from  the  slough  of  poverty  into  which  they  had  fallen. 

He  had  tried  mercantile  life,  banking,  speculations  in 
various  commodities,  and  always  came  out  a  loser,  chiefly 
because  he  was  careless,  extravagant  in  his  expenditures 
when  money  was  coming  in  from  any  source,  and  utterly 
incompetent  to  manage  the  large  undertakings  which  had 
brought  him  to  ruin. 

The  son  of  an  Irish  gentleman  of  some  fortune, 
Reginald  Desmond  had  emigrated  to  Virginia  in  early 
life,  bringing  with  him  his  portion  of  the  paternal 
inheritance,  amounting  to  six  thousand  pounds.  He 
married  a  young  girl  of  French  descent,  endowed  Avith 
all  the  gayety  and  fondness  for  pleasure  of  the  race  from 
which  she  sprang. 

Both  husband  and  wife  thought  their  means  ample, 
for  Mrs.  Desmond  owned  the  cottage  home  in  which 
they  now  vegetated  and  several  well-trained  house 
servants. 


THE     DESMONDS.  23 

A  style  of  living  was  inaugurated  which  soon  made 
heavy  inroads  on  Desmond's  fortune,  and  in  an  evil 
hour  he  undertook  to  reinstate  himself  by  "  going  in 
business,"  as  he  expressed  it. 

The  years  passed  on ;  no  luxury  was  denied  to  his 
family,  though  loss  after  loss  fell  heavily  upon  its  head, 
and  two  years  before  my  story  opened  the  final  crash 
came.  From  the  wreck  was  saved  the  home  and  slaves, 
with  an  income  of  four  hundred  dollars  a  year,  derived 
from  property  left  by  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Desmond,  for  her 
sole  use  and  benefit. 

There  were  three  children :  two  daughters  of  seventeen 
and  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  a  son  four  years  younger ; 
and  on  this  pittance  a  family  of  five  persons,  accustomed 
to  every  indulgence,  was  compelled  to  live. 

Desmond  was  a  kind-hearted  man,  and  a  liberal  one, 
and  it  was  little  wonder  that  the  change  in  his  fortunes 
had  silvered  his  raven  locks  and  traced  deep  lines  upon 
his  brow.  He  had  been  a  very  handsome  man,  and  still 
retained  his  fine  figure  and  gentlemanly  air,  in  spite  of 
his  shabby  surroundings  and  neglected  dress. 

He  had  no  heart  to  look  after  his  small  domain,  and 
the  one  old  negro  man  whose  business  it  was  to  keep  the 
place  in  such  order  as  he  could  was  left  to  manage  in  his 
own  way,  without  interference  from  his  master. 

Desmond  lounged  away  his  days,  reading,  smoking 
and  wondering  for  what  purpose  he  had  been  created, 
since  he  had  failed  in  everything  he  had  undertaken. 
Like  most  men  on  whom  disaster  falls  after  middle-age, 
he  seemed  to  have  lost  all  energy  and  hope ;  so  he  ac- 
cepted his  fate  as  an  accomplished  fact,  though  he  did 
not  try  to  bear  it  with  philosophy. 


24       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN     A    FORTUNE. 

The  sound  of  a  young  voice  blithely  singing  came 
from  the  interior  of  the  house,  and  Desmond  frowned 
slightly  as  he  muttered  : 

"  I  ought  to  feel  glad  that  the  child  can  sing,  in  spite 
of  our  changed  prospects,  but  it  grates  on  my  ears  when 
I  feel  as  downcast  as  I  do  this  evening.  Heigh-ho !  this 
is  a  poor  world,  and  I  and  mine  have  come  down  to  fill 
a  very  humble  place  in  it.  There  is  nothing  to  look 
forward  to — nothing" 

"What  is  that  you  are  saying,  Dessy,  darling?" 
asked  a  cheerful  voice  at  his  elbow.  " '  Care  killed  a 
cat.'  What  is  the  use  of  moaning  over  what  cannot  be 
helped  ?  We've  got  bread  to'  eat,  and  a  roof  over  us, 
and  we  ought  to  be  thankful  for  that." 

The  speaker  had  issued  from  a  window  opening  to  the 
floor  from  the  room  to  which  his  back  was  turned. 

She  was  a  small,  plump  woman,  with  bright  black 
eyes,  well-cut  features,  and  an  expression  of  gay  good- 
humor  which  nothing  could  daunt. 

"  It  is  well  enough  for  you  to  say  that,  Nettie,  because 
the  roof  and  the  bread  are  both  of  your  own  providing. 
I  am  fit  for  nothing,  for  I  have  only  made  a  mess  of 
everything  I  have  attempted,  however  fair  the  prospect 
was  in  the  beginning.  It  is  hard  to  sit  down  and  feel 
that  I  am  only  a  cumberer  of  the  earth,  unable  to  help 
myself  or  those  that  look  to  me  for  a  suitable  start  in 
life." 

"You  dreadful  old  fellow  !  how  do  you  dare  to  talk  so 
tome?  Isn't  what  is  mine  yours  ?  And  haven't  I  spent 
for  you  thousands  and  thousands  that  would  have  paid 
for  this  old  place  over  and  over  again  ?  You  gave  me 
everything  I  fancied  I  could  want  as  long  as  you  had 


THE    DESMONDS.  25 

the  means,  and  now  you  talk  about  me  giving  you  house 
and  home.  It's — it's  absurd,  and  I  won't  have  it." 

"  It  is  true,  any  way,  darling,  and  you  can't  deny  it. 
We  had  a  good  time  when  the  money  was  in  hand  ;  but 
now  it's  all  gone,  I  can't  help  thinking  what  a  fool  I  was 
not  to  invest  my  means  in  lands  and  negroes.  We  would 
have  been  rich  if  I  had ;  but,  you  see,  I  thought  I  could 
find  a  shorter  way  to  fortune  than  digging  in  the  ground, 
and  this  is  what  I've  come  to  ; "  and  he  waved  his  hand 
toward  the  neglected  grounds  lying  around  him. 

"And  it's  a  very  good  something  to  come  to,  too,  if 
we  will  only  make  the  best  of  it,  I  am  going  to  have 
the  undergrowth  cleared  away  from  the  fields  that  have 
lain  idle  so  long,  and  I  am  going  to  plant  a  crop ;  guess 
what  it  is  now ! "  and  a  laugh,  that  was  so  contagious  he 
could  not  help  joining  in  it,  burst  from  her  rosy  lips. 

"  Goodness  knows  !  The  land  won't  bring  corn,  for  it 
is  too  poor,  and  it  is  too  late  now  to  get  anything  out  of 
it  this  year." 

"  Oh,  I  am  looking  to  the  future.  Next  year  we  will 
make  our  fortune  out  of— you'll  never  guess,  so  I'll  tell 
you — Peanuts  !  Now  what  do  you  think  of  that  ?  " 

Desmond  laughed  again. 

"  I  think  you  are  trying  to  raise  my  spirits,  that  is  all, 
Nettie." 

"  Indeed  I  am  not — I  am  in  earnest,  and  if  I  can  only 
find  some  money  to  start  with,  I  know  we  can  do  as  well 
as  other  people.  Why,  there  is  an  old  man  living  on  a 
small  place  not  more  than  ten  miles  from  here,  and  he 
has  made  a  little  fortune  in  the  last  two  years  on  his  crop 
of  peas.  I  am  going  to  turn  agriculturist;  I  mean  to 
show  you  what  I  can  do  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil." 


26       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

Again  her  cheery  laugh  rang  out,  but  Desmond  did 
not  join  in  it  this  time ;  he  bitterly  said  : 

"  That  old  fellow  might  succeed,  because  he  had  some- 
thing to  start  on ;  but  you  have  nothing.  The  money 
that  comes  quarterly  to  you  barely  serves  to  meet  our 
expenses.  We  have  sold  everything  that  could  be  spared ; 
the  jewels  I  decorated  you  with,  with  so  much  pride  in 
our  palmy  days,  have  all  been  sacrificed  to  meet  our 
necessities,  and  the  mere  attempt  to  prepare  the  ground 
for  cultivation  would  involve  an  expenditure  of  several 
hundred  dollars." 

His  wife  looked  anxious  a  few  moments,  but  she  pres- 
ently smiled  cheerfully  and  said  : 

" (  Where  -there's  a  will,  there's  a  way,'  Dessy.  We 
can  begin  on  a  small  scale,  you  know,  and  once  fairly 
started  it  will  be  easy  enough  to  get  on.  I've  been  read- 
ing that  queer  life  of  Jung  Stilling,  and  when  he  prayed 
earnestly  for  help  in  his  darkest  hours  it  always  came  to 
him  in  a  most  unexpected  manner.  Well,  I've  been 
praying,  too,  and  the  good  Father  will  send  us  the  aid 
we  need.  I  feel  as  if  He  will  surely  help  those  who  try 
to  help  themselves." 

Her  voice  trembled  slightly,  and  her  bright  eyes  were 
humid  with  unshed  tears ;  for  this  brave  little  woman 
had  a  tender  heart,  deep  love  for  husband  and  children, 
and  an  earnest,  helpful  spirit,  which  impelled  her  to  use 
every  effort  to  sustain  the  drooping  courage  of  the  former, 
and  to  plan,  from  day  to  day,  some  new  method  of  adding 
Bomething  to  their  means  of  living. 

The  eldest  daughter  was  a  good  musician,  and,  much 
to  the  disgust  and  annoyance  of  her  father,  she  had 
accepted  an  engagement  in  the  neighboring  town  to  give 


THE     DESMONDS.  27 

instruction  in  that  art  in  a  small  private  school,  for 
which  service  she  was  paid  very  poorly. 

Mr.  Desmond  arose  and  took  his  wife  in  his  arms  as 
he  said,  in  a  choking  voice : 

"  Your  faith,  your  energy  are  a  sad  reproach  to  me, 
Nettie.  I  can  only  sit  and  dream  over  the  disappoint- 
ments of  my  life,  while  you  are  always  trying  to  do 
something  to  alleviate  the  poverty  into  which  my  ill 
success  has  plunged  all  that  are  dear  to  me.  I  know 
that  I  have  become  a  sad  drone;  but  what  can  I  do, 
dear?  Everything  I  have  tried  has  proved  a  failure, 
and  I  am  really  afraid  to  attempt  anything  else,  lest  I 
may  risk  the  little  that  is  left  to  us." 

She  shook  her  head  energetically. 

"That  must  not  be  touched — cannot,  in  fact,  for  the 
money  was  left  to  me.  I  could  mortgage  the  place,  it  is 
true ;  but  I  dare  not  risk  the  loss  of  our  home.  Couldn't 
you  get  something  to  do  in  Portsmouth,  dear  ?  You  are 
a  good  book-keeper,  and  you  have  friends  there,  you 
know.  The  town  is  only  a  mile  from  here,  and  the  walk 
to  and  fro  would  do  you  good." 

An  expression  of  angry  pain  swept  over  Desmond's 
face,  and  he  almost  curtly  said  : 

"I  thought  you  understood  how  impossible  that  is. 
I  have  sought  employment  till  I  felt  sick  and  degraded ; 
but  no  one  wanted  about  them  an  unlucky  fellow  like 
myself.  Since  I  have  made  a  mess  of  my  own  aifairs, 
they  very  naturally  think  I  would  mismanage  all  of 
theirs  that  were  intrusted  to  me.  If  I  had  strength  to 
labor  with  my  hands,  I  might  perhaps  get  something  to 
do  in  the  navy  yard ;  but  I've  lived  the  life  of  a  gentle- 
man, and  if  I  tried  daily  labor  I  should  only  break 


28       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

down,  and  give  you  the  additional  trouble  of  nurs- 
ing me." 

"  My  dear,  you  hurt  me  when  you  speak  that  way. 
I  thought  your  friends  would  help  you  to  some  suitable 
employment;  but  if  they  will  not,  you  must  assist  me 
here.  There  is  a  great  deal  to  be  done  on  the  place,  for 
it  has  run  to  weeds  while  we  lived  in  Norfolk.  The 
people  we  rented  it  to  took  no  care  of  anything,  and 
since  we  have  lived  here  we  have  done  little  better.  It 
is  not  good  for  you  to  live  so  idly,  Dessie,  darling ;  you 
sit  and  brood  over  your  misfortunes  till  I  sometimes  fear 
they  will  produce  melancholy  madness.  There,  I've 
spoken  out  the  fear  that  haunts  me,  and  I  hope  you  will 
forgive  me,  my  dear  husband." 

Desmond  looked  down  on  her  with  a  smile  in  his 
eyes,  though  his  lips  twitched  nervously. 

"  I  cannot  be  angry  with  you,  Nettie,  for  expressing  a 
dread  that  has,  at  times,  come  over  myself.  But  half 
the  people  who  know  us  would  say  that  so  indolent  a 
man  as  I  have  become  would  not  ever  have  vim  enough 
to  go  mad.  I  believe  I  have  sat  down  and  taken  things 
as  they  came  quite  long  enough,  leaving  the  burden  and 
the  heat  of  the  day  on  you.  I  am  going  to  turn  over  a 
new  leaf,  and  to-morrow  we'll  start  on  another  tack. 
I'll  set  about  mending  the  broken  fences,  and  see  if  I 
can't  give  old  Caesar  a  lift.  That  will  be  better  than 
moping  and  reading  till  I  am  half  blind,  eh?  How 
does  that  suit  you,  little  wife  ?  " 

"  That  will  be  famous  !  Just  make  an  effort,  Dessy, 
and  you'll  see  that  God  will  help  those  that  are  willing 
to  do  something  for  themselves." 

Desmond  smiled  faintly. 


THE     DESMONDS.  29 

"You  are  like  Mrs.  Chick  when  she  lamented  over 
Mrs.  Dombey.  I  hope  your  patient,  though,  will  have 
more  strength  to  rally  than  poor  Fanny  had.  I  have 
been  reading  that  book  to-day,  trying  to  beguile  the 
wearisome  hours  in  the  company  of  its  genial  author. 
But  I'll  not  let  even  Dickens  keep  me  from  work  to- 
morrow. You'll  see  I  am  roused  out  of  my  apathy,  and 
I  am  going  to  see  what  virtue  there  is  in  mending  fences 
and  knocking  around  generally." 

Mrs.  Desmond  accepted  this  assurance  as  the  hopeful 
dawning  of  a  better  day.  She  was  ten  years  younger 
than  her  husband,  and  her  sanguine  temperament  buoyed 
her  up  and  kept  her  youthful  in  heart  and  in  appear- 
ance ;  for  she  might  easily  have  passed  for  the  sister  of 
her  eldest  daughter. 

Suddenly  Mr.  Desmond  asked  : 

"Where  is  Clare?  She  should  have  been  home  an 
hour  ago,  and  I  do  not  like  her  lingering  on  the  way 
from  town  in  this  way.  Did  Victor  go  to  meet  her,  as  I 
told  him?" 

"He  always  comes  with  her  on  school-days,  but  this 
is  Saturday,  and  Clare  said  it  was  no  use  for  her  brother 
to  come  for  her,  as  she  meant  to  be  back  before  dark ;  so 
I  let  Victor  go  off  on  some  expedition  of  his  own.  The 
sun  is  only  setting,  and  Clare  will  be  here  quite  safe 
before  night." 

Mr.  Desmond  looked  deeply  annoyed,  and  lie  came 
nearer  to  his  wife,  and  lowered  his  voice,  as  he  asked  : 

"  Have  you  not  suspected  the  reason  why  I  wished  the 
boy  to  be  her  companion  on  her  homeward  walk  ?  Has 
she  never  said  anything  to  you  of  her  acquaintance  with 
that  young  apothecary  in  town,  John  Spiers?  I  have 


30       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

been  told  more  than  once  that  he  is  madly  in  love  with 
her,  and  that  he  avails  himself  of  every  opportunity  of 
seeing  her  alone,  though  he  dares  not  show  himself  here, 
the  low-born  cur !  It  makes  my  blood  tingle  to  think 
of  his  father's  son  daring  to  suppose  that  loss  of  fortune 
has  brought  my  daughter  on  a  level  with  the  son  of  the 
man  who  only  escaped  punishment  for  forgery  through 
the  clemency  of  the  man  whose  name  he  had  used." 

Mrs.  Desmond  changed  color  slightly,  but  she  quietly 
replied : 

"  You  must  be  mistaken  about  young  Spiers.  Clare 
has  never  spoken  of  him  to  me ;  and  if  there  is  anything 
between  them,  I  am  sure  she  would  have  done  so.  I 
have  always  had  her  confidence,  and  she  is  too  young  to 
think  of  such  things  as  love  and  marriage." 

"She  is  a  year  older  than  you  were  when  I  married 
you.  I  am  afraid  Clare  is  not  so  open  as  you  think,  for 
she  has  certainly  been  seen  walking  homeward  with 
Spiel's,  and  I  have  noticed,  of  late,  that  Victor  generally 
gets  home  from  school  some  time  before  our  daughter 
appears.  If  you  question  the  lad,  he  will  tell  you,  I 
fear,  that  he  was  sent  forward  to  leave  the  field  open  for 
his  sister's  lover." 

"  If  you  have  heard  so  much,  and  suspected  so  much, 
why  have  you  not  taken  measures  yourself  to  put  an  end 
to  their  acquaintance?"  asked  Mrs.  Desmond,  with  some 
fire. 

"  I  did  speak  to  the  young  man  the  last  time  I  was  in 
town,  and  let  him  know  very  plainly  that  he  should  not 
pursue  my  daughter  either  openly  or  clandestinely.  But 
you  see  the  girl  lingers,  and  I  am  almost  sure  they  are 
together." 


THE     DESMONDS.  31 

"  If  you  had  hinted  anything  of  this  to  me,  I  would 
not  have  permitted  Clare  to  go  to  Portsmouth  to-day. 
She  only  went  to  call  on  a  sick  friend." 

"  Hum !  an  excuse — a  mere  excuse,  I  am  afraid.  I 
don't  like  to  suspect  the  child  of  duplicity,  but  I  fear 
she  has  taken  a  fancy  to  that  bandit-looking  young 
man.  Girls  have  so  much  sentimental  nonsense  in  their 
heads,  that  there  is  no  knowing  what  one  of  them 
may  do." 

"  I  hope  our  daughter  will  better  understand  what  is 
due  to  herself  than  to  encourage  John  Spiers.  Why,  the 
family  takes  no  position  in  the  town,  and  his  mother  is 
a  vulgar,  uneducated  woman,  who  says  thar,  and  ha'r. 
I  heard  her  talking  in  the  shop  once." 

"But  they  have  made  some  money — not  much,  but 
enough  to  encourage  the  youth  in  his  pretensions.  He 
doubtless  thinks,  because  we  are  so  poor,  Clare  may  be 
induced  to  listen  to  him.  She  is  not  happy  here,  my 
dear,  and  she  may  foolishly  think  that  any  change  will 
be  for  the  better.  Besides,  she  may  fancy  that  she  is 
lightening  the  burden  on  you." 

"  Poor  child !  she  is  already  doing  all  she  can  to 
lighten  it  by  teaching  music.  She  does  not  get  much,  it 
is  true,  but  every  little  helps.  I  do  not  think  she  is 
happy,  for  she  writhes  under  our  changed  circumstances ; 
but  she  is  far  too  proud  to  accept  young  Spiers,  and  go 
as  a  penniless  bride  to  a  house  in  which  money  is  re- 
garded as  the  first  good." 

"  You  must  talk  seriously  with  her,  Nettie,  and  I'll 
speak  this  time  to  old  Spiers  himself,  and  tell  him  what 
I  think  about  his  son's  conduct.  I  agree  with  you  that 
he  will  be  as  much  opposed  to  such  a  match  as  we  are ; 


32       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

but  we  have  the  best  grounds  for  opposition,  and  he 
knows  it,  the  smooth-tongued  old  villain  ! " 

"Don't  get  excited,  dear;  and  above  all,  don't  get 
into  a  fuss  with  Mr.  Spiers.  It  would  only  make  a  talk, 
and  bring  Clare's  name  unpleasantly  before  the  public," 

"  That  is  true,  and  I  promise  to  be  careful.  But  I 
will  go  to  meet  my  girl,  and  see  for  myself  what  is 
detaining  her  so  late." 

Without  another  word  he  threw  on  his  Panama,  and 
hastened  toward  the  gate. 


CHAPTER    II. 
CLAEE  DESMOND'S  LOVER. 

"TTTHILE  this  conversation  was  going  on,  two  youne, 
»  V  people  were  loitering  slowly  along  the  shaded 
road  that  led  toward  Desmonia,  and  both  seemed  very 
well  pleased  to  linger,  and  talk  over  the  future  which 
the  young  man  was  trying  to  induce  the  girl  to  share 
with  him. 

The  girl  was  petite,  slender,  and  perfectly  formed,  with 
a  piquant  face,  the  nose  slightly  retrousse,  deep  violet  blue 
eyes,  with  black  hair  and  eyebrows,  a  wilful  little  mouth, 
and  a  complexion  radiantly  soft  and  fair,  with  the  clear- 
est rose  tint  on  cheeks  and  lips.  She  was  very  lovely, 
and  so  thought  the  young  man,  who  seldom  removed  his 
bold  black  eyes  from  her  charming  face. 

John  Spiers  was  the  ideal  of  Conrad  the  Corsair,  as 
more  than  one  romantic  young  miss  had  declared.  Ho 


CLARE   DESMOND'S   LOVER.  33 

was  six  feet  high,  well  developed,  without  any  superflu- 
ous flesh,  and  was  really  rather  a  dashing,  imposing-look- 
ing person.  His  face  was  dark,  and  rather  fierce-looking ; 
his  features  were  well  formed,  but  his  mouth  was  coarse, 
and  his  chin  heavy.  These  defects  he  managed  to  con- 
ceal by  a  silky  mustache  and  pointed  beard,  both  of  which 
were  tenderly  cared  for  every  day.  His  dress  was  fash- 
ionable, and  on  his  long,  nervous-looking  fingers  he  wore 
several  rings.  In  one  hand  he  carried  a  slender  cane, 
with  which  he  struck  down  the  mullein  stalks  and  weeds 
that  bordered  the  pathway  they  were  walking  on. 

He  was  speaking  earnestly  to  Clare  Desmond,  for  she 
it  was  who  walked  beside  him,  and  listened,  half  pleased, 
half  alarmed,  to  his  earnest  protestations  of  undying 
affection. 

"  I  love  you,  Clare,  as  the  one  hope  of  my  life.  I 
have  been  a  wild  fellow,  and  I  have  given  my  father 
some  trouble;  but  I  have  settled  down  to  hard  work 
now,  and  I  mean  to  redeem  myself.  When  I  came  back 
from  Rio  two  years  ago,  I  gave  up  the  sea,  tired  of  the 
hard  and  uncertain  life  of  a  sailor.  I  have  been  in  the 
shop  with  my  father  since  then,  and  I  have  made  such 
good  use  of  my  time  that  I  am  now  as  good  an  apothe- 
cary as  he  is.  A  man  that  understands  putting  up  pre- 
scriptions is  always  sure  of  a  good  salary,  and  I  can  sup- 
port you  in  as  good  style  as  you  were  used  to  before 
your  father  failed.  See,  my  sweet  love,  how  much  you 
would  gain  by  coming  to  me  as  my  wife." 

With  a  pouting  lip,  Miss  Desmond  replied  : 

"  You  are  always  urging  on  me  the  material  advan- 
tages of  marrying  you,  Mr.  Spiers,  as  if  you  give  more 
weight  to  them  than  to  your  own  merits.  Papa  is  poor, 
2 


34      A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

no  doubt,  and  it  is  a  great  change  for  me  to  have  to  corne 
down  to  teaching  music  for  a  mere  pittance ;  but  I  fancy, 
I  had  better  do  that  than  to  marry  you  without  the  con- 
sent of  either  your  parents  or  mine." 

"  How  coldly  you  reason,  Clare !  You  have  my  fate 
in  your  hands,  and  to  you  I  appeal  to  save  me  from — 
from  myself.  With  you,  I  could  be  good,  true  and 
happy.  Without  you,  God  knows  to  what  temptations 
I  may  listen.  I  am  not  naturally  a  bad  man,  Clare,  but 
my  nature  is  a  tempestuous  one,  and  without  you  as  my 
guardian  angel,  I  do  not  know  what  demon  may  not 
gain  an  influence  over  me." 

The  girl  changed  color,  and  rather  tremulously  said  : 

11 1 — I  am  not  used  to  such  fiery  people,  and  I  am 
afraid,  if  I  undertook  such  a  charge  as  you,  with  the 
tempestuous  nature  you  spoke  of,  that  I  might  fail  to  be 
a  spirit  of  peace  to  you.  I  am  not  an  angel,  but  a  mortal, 
with  too  many  faults  of  my  own  to  play  such  a  part  as 
you  propose  to  the  husband  who  ought  to  guide  me." 

"  You  are  too  prosaic,  my  love,  and  you  purposely 
misunderstand  me.  I  ask  you,  a  young,  pure  girl,  to 
save  a  human  soul  fluttering  on  the  verge  of — of  the 
wild  chaos  of  his  own  passions.  You  can  make  me  noble 
and  true  as  you  are  yourself;  but  if  you  refuse  to  hold 
out  your  dear  hand  to  me,  I  must  sink  down — down — 
down  into  an  abyss  from  which  a  lost  spirit  will  ever 
cry  out  to  you,  'You  might  have  saved  me,  but,  like 
the  Pharisee,  you  walked  on  the  other  side,  and  would 
not/" 

This  was  nonsense,  as  no  one  knew  better  than  the 
man  who  uttered  it  in  his  most  dramatic  manner.  He 
watched  its  effect  on  the  inexperienced  creature  who 


CLARE   DESMOND'S   LOVEE.  35 

lingered  beside  him,  and  saw  that  she  grew  pale  and 
trembled. 

"  It  is  terrible  to  talk  that  way,  Mr.  Spiers,  and- — and 
you  frighten  me  so  much  that  I  hardly  know  what  to 
think  of  such  strange  love-making.  If  you  have  no 
strength  to  lift  yourself  out  of  that  dreadful  abyss  you 
talked  of,  how  could  a  poor,  weak  girl  like  me  keep  you 
from  it?" 

"How  !  By  sustaining  my  courage  for  the  battle  of 
life ;  by  breathing  into  my  heart  the  spirit  of  peace  that 
dwells  like  a  dove  in  your  own.  Oh,  Clare  !  the  love  I 
feel  for  you  can  mould  me  into  a  new  man,  if  you  will 
only  be  mine — forever  mine !  If  you  cast  me  off,  I  shall 
become  reckless.  This  '  mortal  coil '  will  become  too 
heavy  a  burden  to  bear,  and  I  will  shuffle  it  off  with 
the  aid  of  some  of  my  father's  drugs,  or  a  stab  through 
the  heart  you  disdained  to  accept." 

He  looked  so  tragic,  played  his  part  so  well,  that  the 
poor  girl  was  now  thoroughly  alarmed ;  but  she  was  also 
indignant  at  the  threat  he  had  uttered.  She  gravely 
said: 

"Your  life  is  not  your  own  to  throw  away  at  your 
pleasure.  If  I  refuse  you,  I  hardly  think  that  you  will 
commit  suicide,  wildly  as  you  talk.  You  have  managed 
to  live  very  well  without  me  all  these  years,  and  you 
would  do  it  again,  even  if  I  were  taken  so  far  away  from 
you  that  you  could  never  see  me  again." 

"That  would  be  my  only  chance  to  recover  from  the 
insane  passion  that  has  mastered  my  whole  being.  -  Yet 
I  would  not  submit  to  such  a  separation,  Clare.  I  would 
seek  you  through  the  world,  and  compel  you  to  return 
my  love.  I  have  a  right  to  you,  for  you  have  eucour- 


36       A    NE'W    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

aged  me — you  have  smiled  on  me,  and  listened  to  my 
words  of  love;  and  now  that  I  ask  for  a  final  decision, 
you  shrink  from  giving  me  the  promise  that  will  bind 
you  to  me." 

Clare  became  very  pale  no'w,  for  she  felt  that  vanity, 
and  the  novelty  of  having  a  lover,  had  lured  her  from 
the  straight  path  in  which  her  feet  should  have  walked. 
She  faintly  said : 

"  You  can  have  no  claim  on  me  unsanctioned  by  my 
parents,  and  you  have  this  evening  told  me  that  my 
father  spoke  to  you,  and  strictly  forbade  any  further 
acquaintance  between  us." 

"So — you  avail  yourself  of  that  excuse !  Ha!  ha!  it 
shall  not  serve  you,  Miss  Desmond.  You  either  love 
me,  or  you  are  the  most  accomplished  of  coquettes.  I 
will  brave  your  father's  wrath,  and  snatch  you  from  him, 
or  I  will  perish  in  the  attempt.  But  I  will  not  perish 
alone !  mark  that !  One — perhaps  two  victims  will  go 
down  with  me  to  Hades,  in  that  hour  in  which  your  per- 
fidy becomes  patent  to  me.  I  shall  then  be  desperate 
enough  to  do  anything — anything!" 

He  laughed  wildly,  grated  his  teeth,  and  seemed  so 
furious  that  Clare  shrank  away  from  his  side,  and  with 
effort  said : 

"  I  think  it  is  unmanly,  and — and  cruel  to  speak  to 
me  in  this  way.  What  do  you  hope  to  gain  by  it  ?  I 
regret  that  I  ever  permitted  you  to  speak  to  me  of  love. 
I  was  flattered,  I  suppose,  by  the  ardent  professions  you 
made ;  but  if  they  had  been  sincere  you  could  never  have 
treated  me  in  this  way.  You  are  only  trying  to  frighten 
me  now  by  going  on  more  like  a  maniac  than  a  sane 
man." 


CLARE    DESMOND'S    LOVER.  37 

"  Oh,  pardon  me,  angel  of  light,  if  I  have  alarmed 
you.  I  was  mad  when  I  dared  to  threaten  you.  Only 
give  me  a  gleam  of  hope;  make  me  feel  that  you  have 
not  been  trifling  with  me,  and  I  will  kneel  at  your  feet 
to  express  my  utter  devotion  to  you.  Oh,  Clare,  be 
merciful,  or  I  shall  die  of  despair." 

He  threw  himself  at  her  feet  as  he  spoke,  and  turned 
his  wild-looking  eyes  up  to  her  face  with  an  expression 
that  chilled  her  to  the  heart.  In  spite  of  his  humiliating 
attitude  and  his  despairing  words  there  was  determination 
of  purpose,  and  &  mocking  sense  of  power  in  the  look 
he  fastened  on  her  palid  face. 

With  supreme  effort  she  said  : 

"Pray  get  up,  Mr.  Spiers.  What  am  I,  that  you 
should  kneel  to  me?  Such  an  attitude  as  that  should  be 
assumed  before  Him  only  to  whom  worship  is  due.  I 
will  not  speak  to  you  while  you  grovel  on  the  earth  that 
wray." 

Spiers  arose  with  a  fierce  gleam  in  his  eyes,  though  he 
softly  said : 

"  You  are  my  divinity,  Clare,  and  therefore  it  is  fitting 
that  I  should  kneel  to  you.  I  would  humiliate  myself 
to  the  very  dust  to  win  the  assurance  that  you  have  been 
as  much  in  earnest  as  I  am  in  the  love  passages  between 
us.  Speak,  my  darling,  and  give  me  what  I  ask — the 
certainty  that  you  love  me — that  you  will  give  me  this 
dear  hand  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  a  parcel  of  old 
fogies  who  have  forgotten  that  they  were  once  young 
themselves." 

He  took  her  hand  in  defiance  of  her  efforts  to  with- 
hold it,  and  held  it  in  his  firm  clasp  while  awaiting  her 


38       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

Clare  Desmond  was  almost  a  child  in  many  things 
yet;  she  knew  very  little  of  the  world,  for  her  father's 
ruin  had  fallen  on  him  just  as  she  left  school,  and  she 
had  seen  nothing  of  society ;  but  she  felt  now  that  vanity 
alone  had  led  her  to  place  herself  in  the  false  position 
she  held  toward  this  fierce  wooer,  and  how  to  extricate 
herself  from  his  power  was  her  one  thought. 

There  was  a  slight  inflection  of  scorn  in  her  voice,  as 
she  said : 

"  You  are  at  liberty,  I  suppose,  to  speak  of  your  own 
parents  as  you  please;  but  I  will  not  permit  you  to 
speak  of  mine  as  if  they  were  worthy  of  no  consideration 
in — in — the — the — question  you  wish  me  to  decide  so 
prematurely.  I  shall  never  marry  you,  nor  any  one  else, 
Mr.  Spiers,  without  the  full  and  free  consent  of  my 
father  and  mother." 

"  I  did  not  mean  to  be  disrespectful,  Clare.  You  mis- 
interpet  my  words.  Your  father  is  a  very  fine  gentle- 
man, in  spite  of  his  fallen  fortunes;  and  your  mother  is 
almost  as  charming  a  woman  as  you  are  yourself.  I 
have  often  wished  that  my  parents  resembled  them.  As 
to  your  last  assertion,  I  can  only  accept  it  with  modifica- 
tions. You  are  bound  to  me  in  honor,  for  you  have  in- 
duced me  to  believe  that  my  suit  was  not  hopeless,  and 
if  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Desmond  refuse  to  listen  to  our  prayers, 
I  shall  certainly  not  give  you  up.  As  to  my  father  and 
mother,  I  can  talk  them  over,  and  I  have  little  doubt 
that  they  will  eventually  consent  to  a  marriage  between 
us." 

"  But — but,"  gasped  the  poor  girl,  "  I  have  no  wish 
to  enter  your  family  since  I  have  learned  that  the  slight- 
est opposition  has  been  offered  to  me.  I  have  given  you 


CLARE  DESMOND'S  LOVER.     39 

no  pledges,  and  I  begin  to  think  that — that  I  really  have 
no  preference  for  you." 

Spiers  suddenly  turned,  and  faced  her  with  a  scowl  on 
his  dark  face,  a  lurid  anger  in  his  eyes,  that  made  Clare's 
heart  almost  die  within  her.  He  fiercely  hissed  in  her 
shrinking  ears : 

"  So — it  has  come  to  this !  that  I — I  have  been  the 
sport  of  a  girl's  caprice !  have  been  led  on  till  my  all 
of  hope  and  happiness  is  bound  up  in  you ;  and  now 
you  tell  me  that  you  doubt  the  genuineness  of  your  love 
for  me  I  I  would  have  won  you  by  gentle  words  and 
ardent  protestations  of  affection,  but  now  I  throw  such 
mawkish  sweetness  to  the  winds,  and  tell  you  that  you 
shall  be  mine  through  fear,  if  not  through  love." 

He  approached  his  face  to  hers;  his  hot  panting 
breath  fell  upon  her  cheek,  and  his  black  eyes  gleamed 
almost  ferociously  upon  her. 

Clare  recoiled  from  him  in  terror,  and  faintly  said : 

"  I  believe  you  are  mad,  to  threaten  me  in  this  way. 
Let  go  my  hand  and  leave  me.  It  is  getting  late,  and 
they  will  be  expecting  me  at  home." 

"Leave  you  ! — ha !  ha ! — not  till  I  have  made  you 
fully  understand  that  I  am  not  a  man  to  be  trifled  with, 
with  impunity.  I  am  not  mad  now,  but  I  may  become 
so  if  you  persist  in  your  present  course.  But  that  you 
shall  not  do — mark  me,  shall  not;  for  I  will  stop  at 
nothing  to  secure  the  fulfilment  of  your  implied  pledges, 
if  they  were  not  uttered.  I  will  kill  you,  if  you  refuse 
your  consent  to  a  future  union.  I  do  not  ask  for  an  im- 
mediate one.  I  will  yield  that  much  to  you.  I  only 
demand  that  you  shall  give  me  your  sacred  promise  to 
marry  me  within  the  next  two  years." 


40       A    NEW    WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

Clare  listened  with  quailing  heart,  for  within  the  last 
few  moments  she  felt  as  if  she  almost  hated  this  man, 
and  had  rather  die  than  accept  him ;  yet  he  had  acquired 
power  over  her  through  her  own  giddy  love  of  admira- 
tion, and  he  had  proved  that  he  was  ready  to  use  it  to  its 
utmost  limit.  She  desperately  said : 

"  Kill  me,  if  you  choose,  for  I  feel  now  as  if  death  is 
preferable  to  a  union  with  you  on  any  terms." 

Spiers  grew  livid  with  mortification  and  anger.  He 
had  not  expected  such  a  declaration  from  her  lips,  and 
his  self-love  was  deeply  wounded.  He  furiously  cried : 

"  I  mil  kill  you,  if  you  do  not  withdraw  those  words ; 
but  not  you  alone.  You  think  that  help  is  coming,  and 
that  is  what  gives  you  courage  to  defy  me  in  this  way. 
Yonder  comes  your  father,  panting  and  angry,  to  vent 
his  rage  on  me;  but  take  no  hope  from  that;  he  is  too 
far  off  to  interfere  with  me  before  I  have  made  sure  of 
you,  either  in  death  or  in  life." 

There  was  a  long  stretch  of  level  road  ahead  of  them, 
and  with  sudden  hope  Clare  too  saw  the  figure  of  her 
father  turn  a  curve,  which  brought  him  into  full  view, 
though  he  was  still  nearly  half  a  mile  distant.  The 
light  shone  against  his  tall  form,  throwing  it  out  in  full 
relief,  and  she  knew  him  from  his  walk  and  general 
bearing,  although  he  was  so  far  away. 

She  would  have  started  forward  to  meet  him  half-way, 
and  claim  the  protection  she  so  sorely  needed,  but  Spiers 
seized  her  hand  again,  and  forced  her  to  stand  still,  as  he 
triumphantly  said : 

"Now  you  have  no  alternative  but  to  yield  to  any  de- 
mand I  may  make.  That  man's  life  is  as  much  at  my 
mercy  as  yours  is,  and  I  will  shoot  him  down  in  his 


CLAEE   DESMOND'S   LOVEE.  41 

tracks,  if  you  refuse  to  take  a  binding  oath  that  you  will 
be  my  wife  when  I  choose  to  claim  you  as  such ;  and 
that  you  will,  furthermore,  conceal  what  has  passed  be- 
tween us  this  evening,  and  make  your  friends  believe 
that  it  is  your  own  wish  to  marry  me." 

"Oh,  God  help  me  ! "  gasped  poor  Clare,  shuddering, 
and  shrinking  from  the  bad  man  who  held  her  so  com- 
pletely at  his  mercy.  "  You — you  could  not  be  so  cruel 
— so  dastardly,  as  to  fire  on  an  unarmed  man." 

"  Don't  try  me,  that  is  all.  I  am  desperate.  Look — 
here  is  a  pistol  that  has  never  failed  to  strike  its  mark 
from  my  hands.  All  the  barrels  are  loaded.  Refuse 
what  I  demand  as  my  right,  after  what  has  passed  be- 
tween us,  and  I  will  use  one  on  you,  another  on  your 
father,  and  a  third  one  on  myself,  for  life  will  not  be  worth 
having  without  you,  false  as  you  have  shown  yourself." 

At  this  threat,  uttered  with  such  apparent  earnestness, 
all  Clare's  courage  ebbed  away.  Almost  in  a  dying 
voice,  she  said : 

"  I  promise.  Put  up  your  weapon  :  my  darling  father 
must  not  meet  such  a  fate,  to  save  me  even  from  you." 

Still  scowling,  £  piers  concealed  the  pistol  in  the  breast- 
pocket of  his  coat,  and  slowly  said : 

"  There  is  to  be  no  paltering  with  your  word ;  you  are 
to  keep  it  to  the  letter,  or  the  danger  is  not  passed.  If 
I  detect  in  you  any  symptoms  of  revolt  from  the  alle- 
giance you  now  owe  to  me,  I  will  take  vengeance  in  my 
own  hand,  and  you  know  how  terrible  it  will  be.  Get 
over  this  trembling ;  pinch  your  pale  cheeks  to  bring 
back  some  color  to  them,  and  swear  to  be  true  to  me  be- 
fore the  old  man  comes  to  pour  the  vials  of  his  wrath 
upon  my  head." 


42       A     NEW     WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

His  brutal  tone  aroused  the  pride  of  the  girl  to  whom 
he  spoke.  A  burning  torrent  of  shame  and  indignation 
overspread  her  face  witli  blushes,  and  she  impetuously 
said  : 

"If  the  lightning  of  His  just  wrath  could  destroy  you 
as  you  stand  there  in  your  bold,  unmanly  villany,  I 
should  return  thanks  to  God  that  he  had  removed  from 
my  path  a  reptile  who  is  unfit  to  live.  I  will  take  no 
such  oath  as  you  demand.  I  have  given  my  promise, 
and  that  is  enough  to  bind  me  to  the  infamous  compact 
you  have  compelled  me  to  make.  With  the  dread  you 
have  aroused  in  my  heart,  you  know  that  you  are  safe 
enough — that  I  dare  not  claim  the  right  accorded  to 
other  women,  to  refuse  a  man  who  has  become  odious  in 
their  eyes." 

"  You  use  strong  language,  pretty  Clare,"  he  replied, 
with  a  sneer.  "  I  hardly  think  you  will  dare  to  rescind 
your  promise,  so  I  can  dispense  with  the  oath.  Now 
resume  your  calmness,  for  the  old  man  is  bearing  down 
closely  upon  us." 

Aroused  to  a  high  pitch  of  indignation,  Mr.  Desmond 
was  rapidly  approaching  the  two  who  now  slowly  walked 
forward  to  meet  him.  Clare  made  strenuous  efforts  to 
control  herself,  but  she  felt  with  each  step  as  if  she  must 
faint  before  another  one  was  taken.  But  the  strain  upon 
her  mind  and  heart  was  too  great  to  permit  her  over- 
wrought feelings  to  find  a  refuge  in  insensibility. 

By  the  time  her  father  came  within  speaking  distance, 
she  had  regained  comparative  composure;  despair  had 
taken  possession  of  her  young  heart,  and  a  species  of 
stony  coldness  settled  down  over  the  surging  emotions 
that  had  so  lately  moved  her.  Her  fate  had  been  taken 


CLARE   DESMOND'S   LOVER.  43 

out  of  her  own  hands  by  the  reckless,  hard  man  beside 
her,  and  henceforth  she  must  be  moved  by  his  volition 
alone,  recoil  from  him  as  she  might. 

"  Well,  sir,"  panted  the  excited  father,  when  the  three 
at  last  stood  near  enough  to  permit  him  to  speak. 
"  How  is  it  that  I  find  you  in  company  with  my  daugh- 
ter, after  what  I  said  to  you  but  two  days  ago  ?  Was  I 
not  explicit  enough  when  I  told  you  that  your  father's 
son  was  no  fitting  lover  for  a  gentleman's  daughter? 
that  I  would  not  have  her  name  mixed  up  with  yours 
on  any  account?  And  yet  I  find  you  waylaying  her 
and  making  love  to  her,  in  spite  of  my  prohibition." 

A  scarlet  flush  arose  to  the  young  man's  face  at  the 
allusion  to  his  father,  but  his  manner  and  tone  were 
almost  cringing,  in  his  effort  to  be  respectful,  as  he  said : 

"  What  you  know  of  my  father's  doings  should  not 
deprive  me  of  all  chance  of  winning  your  good  opinion 
for  myself,  Mr.  Desmond.  Many  a  man  who  may  have 
made  a  false  step  has  had  sons  who  were  honorable  and 
true.  I  cannot  think  it  fair  to  visit  the  sins  of  the 
father  on  the  child  in  this  way.  As  to  your  daughter, 
I  love  her ;  she  has  promised  to  marry  me,  and  for  her 
sake  I  am  willing  to  brave  your  displeasure.  I  sought 
her  this  evening,  because  I  have  the  right  to  do  so." 

For  an  instant  Desmond  was  dumb  with  rage  and  as- 
tonishment, at  this  bold  declaration.  When  he  could 
speak,  he  turned  to  Clare  and  hoarsely  asked : 

"  Is  this  true  ?  Have  you  made  a  clandestine  engage- 
ment with  this  man,  who  is  not  worthy  to  wipe  the  dust 
off  your  shoes ?  What!  you,  a  Desmond — a  descendant 
of  men  of  honor,  good  faith  and  high  renown — have 
stooped  to  that  man  of  base  instincts  and  baser  origin  ! 


44      A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

/  know,  and  so  does  he,  of  what  his  father  has  been 
guilty,  and  he  is  the  worthy  son  of  such  a  sire." 

Spiers  writhed  beneath  the  words,  and  the  tone  of  bit- 
ter contempt  in  which  they  were  uttered.  Clare  listened, 
believing  every  word,  yet  not  daring,  even  beside  her 
natural  protector,  to  betray  the  loathing  with  which  her 
lover's  late  conduct  had  filled  her  heart ;  for  when  she 
unclosed  her  pale  lips  to  speak,  Spiers  made  a  significant 
gesture  toward  his  breast,  and  she  thrilled  with  fear  at 
what  might  occur  if  she  dared  to  utter  the  truth — that 
the  engagement  had  not  been  a  voluntary  one  on  her 
part. 

She  faintly  said : 

"  Forgive  me,  papa,  but  he  has  my  promise." 

The  father  looked  at  her  a  moment,  and  then  furiously 
cried : 

"  But  he  has  not  my  consent,  nor  that  of  your  mother, 
and  I  shall  take  good  care  that  this — this  pretender  to 
your  favor  shall  have  no  opportunity  to  meet  you  clan- 
destinely again.  Come — our  path  lies  this  way,  and 
yours,  if  I  mistake  not,  lies  in  the  opposite  direction, 
Mr.  Spiers." 

Desmond  strode  to  his  daughter's  side,  drew  her  arm 
beneath  his  own,  and  without  deigning  a  glance  to  the 
man  who  glowered  after  them,  turned  away. 

Spiers  stood  still  on  the  spot  on  which  they  had  left 
him,  till  the  turn  in  the  road  concealed  them  from  sight, 
and  then,  with  a  bitter  laugh,  muttered  : 

"I  have  played  my  game  well  thus  far,  and  I'll  win 
the  girl  and  the  fortune  she's  bound  to  get,  in  spite  of 
you,  my  fine  fellow." 


A  PAIR  OF  PLOTTING  VILLAINS.   45 

CHAPTER   III. 

A  PAIR  OP  PLOTTING  VILLAINS. 

SPIERS  resumed  his  natural  manner,  which  was  that 
of  a  bold  swaggerer,  whistled  a  merry  tune,  and 
retraced  his  steps  toward  Portsmouth,  congratulating 
himself  on  the  success  with  which  he  had  played  the 
part  of  Bombastes  Furioso  toward  a  helpless  and  fright- 
ened girl. 

He  bitterly  resented  Mr.  Desmond's  contemptuous 
treatment,  but  he  intended  to  be  even  with  him  yet,  and 
take  from  him  the  daughter  who  he  knew  was  the  dar- 
ling of  his  heart,  when  it  pleased  him  to  claim  her  as  his 
wife.  He  did  not  intend  to  be  in  a  hurry  about  this,  for 
there  was  much  to  be  settled  about  Clare  herself  before 
it  would  be  to  his  interest  to  force  her  to  fulfil  the 
pledge  he  had  so  cruelly  extorted  from  her. 

He  moved  jauntily  through  the  streets  of  the  town, 
returning  the  numerous  greetings  he  received  with  a  bow 
and  smile ;  and  more  than  one  young  girl  turned  to  look 
after  him,  thinking  what  a  romantic-looking  creature  he 
was,  with  his  dark,  half-tamed  look  and  fine  figure.  He 
at  length  gained  a  side  street  and  entered  a  drug  store  of 
pretentious  appearance,  with  the  usual  display  of  plate- 
glass  in  the  windows,  behind  which  were  arrayed  jars  of 
colored  water,  and  various  fancy  articles  in  which  his 
father  dealt. 

A  tall,  cadaverous-looking  man,  with  hard  black  eyes, 
thin  lips  and  watchful  expression,  stood  at  the  furthest 
end  of  the  shop,  making  an  entry  in  his  ledger  before 


46       A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

going  up-stairs  to  supper,  for  Mr.  Spiers'  family  lived  in 
the  rooms  above  his  place  of  business. 

He  looked  up  sharply  as  his  son  entered,  and  in  curt 
tones  said : 

"  So-o — you've  come  at  last.  I  suppose  you've  been 
philandering  after  that  Desmond  girl  again,  though  she's 
as  poor  as  Job's  turkey.  You  had  better  mind  what 
you  are  about,  young  man,  or  you  and  I  won't  be  friends 
much  longer." 

"  I  don't  believe  Job  ever  had  a  turkey,  or  that  such 
birds  were  known  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  he 
lived  in,  so  your  comparison  doesn't  hold  good.  Besides, 
I'll  tell  you  a  secret.  Miss  Desmond  has  a  good  chance 
to  be  rich.  She  don't  know  it  yet,  neither  does  her 
family,  but  it's  true  all  the  same.  So,  you  see,  she's  not 
to  be  placed  in  the  same  category  with  that  mythical 
turkey  of  the  old  Hebrew." 

The  elder  Spiers  opened  his  eyes  widely  at  this  state- 
ment. He  eagerly  said : 

"  If  you  can  prove  this,  I'll  not  think  you  such  a  fool 
as  I've  lately  believed  you  to  be.  What  expectations 
has  she,  and  how  did  you  find  them  out?" 

"That's  my  secret;  but  I'll  enlighten  you  if  you  will 
come  into  the  back  room,  where  there  are  no  eaves- 
droppers. Where's  Beal  ?  Call  him  to  take  charge  of 
the  shop  while  we  talk  together." 

"He's  packing  some  things,  but  he  can  leave  them 
till  to-night.  Speak  to  him,  and  tell  him  he's  wanted." 

John  Spiers  went  into  a  large,  dreary-looking  apart- 
ment in  the  rear,  where  a  lad  of  sixteen  was  engaged  in 
packing  away  bottles  in  a  square  box.  He  spoke  to  him 
gruffly : 


A  PAIR  OP  PLOTTING  VILLAINS.   47 

"Go  to  my  father;  he  wants  to  talk  with  me,  and  he 
says  those  things  can  wait.  And  mind,  youngster,  you're 
to  look  sharp  after  the  shop,  and  not  be  trying-  to  hear 
what  we  are  saying." 

The  youth  raised  his  face,  red  with  the  exertions  he 
had  been  making  to  get  his  task  done.  It  was  a  good, 
honest  face,  and  he  coldly  said  : 

"  I  generally  attend  to  my  own  business,  John,  and  I 
am  sure  I  do  not  care  to  meddle  with  yours,  let  it  be 
what  it  may." 

"  So  much  the  better  for  you.  So  go,  now,  and  keep 
your  distance  from  this  end  of  the  shop.  What  I  am 
going  to  tell  the  governor  will  be  known  far  and  wide 
soon  enough ;  but  it's  my  secret  now,  and  I  don't  want  it 
blown  on  too  soon." 

Young  Beal  went  into  the  shop  without  replying,  and 
a  moment  later  Mr.  Spiers  came  into  the  room  in  which 
his  son  was  waiting,  and  carefully  closed  the  door  between 
them. 

"  Now  what  is  this  wonderful  windfall  that  has  come 
to  lift  Reggy  Desmond  out  of  the  mire  into  which  he  has 
bogged  himself?  I  hate  that  man,  and  I  am  sorry  that 
any  good  luck  has  fallen  in  his  way." 

"  I  don't  love  him  myself,  but  it's  not  to  him  that  the 
money  is  coming.  He  may  get  a  slice  out  of  it,  but  not 
even  that  if  I  can  help  it.  It  is  the  eldest  daughter  who 
will  be  invited  to  live  with  a  rich  old  aunt  of  her 
mother's,  and  if  Mrs.  Adair  likes  her,  she  intends  to  give 
her  all  her  fortune.  It's  a  nice  little  pile,  for  the  old 
lady  is  rich  as  cream.  She  owns  a  plantation,  and  at 
least  a  hundred  negroes,  besides  bank  stock  that  brings 
her  in  thousands  a  year." 


48'      A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

"  Bosh  !  "Who  told  you  all  this,  and  where  does  Mrs. 
Adair  live?" 

"  She  has  a  place  on  James  river,  with  a  house  on  it 
that  was  built  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago.  She  has 
no  relations  but  these  Desmonds,  or  rather  Mrs.  Desmond 
and  her  children,  for  she  has  no  opinion  of  him,  and 
wouldn't  care  to  claim  him  as  a  relation,  since  he's 
proved  a  failure.  The  old  lady  don't  believe  in  unsuc- 
cessful people." 

"  Upon  my  word,  you  talk  of  this  Mrs.  Adair  as  if  she 
had  been  your  most  intimate  friend  ever  since  you  were 
born.  J  never  heard  of  her  before,  which  is  strange, 
considering  that  you  know  so  much  about  her  and  her 
circumstances." 

"  I  never  heard  of  her  either  till  lately,  but  I  know 
all  about  her  from — from  a  friend,  and  what  I  tell  you 
is  true." 

"What  friend?"  asked  his  father  impatiently.  "I 
must  know  all  about  this  affair,  to  make  sure  that  you 
are  not  humbugging  me  to  get  my  consent  to  let  you 
make  love  to  that  poverty-stricken  girl  you've  taken 
such  a  shine  to  lately." 

"I  thought  you  knew  me  well  enough  to  be  certain 
that  /  would  never  look  at  a  woman  twice  if  she  hadn't 
money,  or  the  chance  of  getting  it.  I  have  too  much  of 
your  nature  in  me  to  do  that." 

Spiers  laughed  grimly. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,  John,  for  I  began  to 
think  that  the  girl  has  bewitched  you,  in  spite  of  your 
better  judgment.  But  I  insist  on  knowing  how  you 
gained  such  accurate  information  of  this  Mcs.  Adair  and 
her  aifairs." 


A  PAIE  OF  PLOTTING  VILLAINS.   49 

"  Well,  I  suppose  I'll  have  to  tell  you,"  replied  the 
younger  man,  rather  reluctantly.  "  I  have  a  friend  in 
the  camp — that  is,  in  the  old  lady's  house.  There  is  a 
young  woman  living  there  that — that  I  knew  very  well 
when  I  was  knocking  around  the  world.  In  fact,  I  was 
rather  sweet  on  her  once :  but  that's  all  at  an  end,  of 
course.  She  has  travelled  a  deal,  and  I  met  with  her  on 
shipboard  coming  from  England,  where  she  had  been 
living  as  companion  to  some  rich  woman.  She  was  after 
that  recommended  to  Mrs.  Adair  in  that  capacity,  and 
she's  been  living  at  Riverdale  for  the  last  few  months." 

"  Hum — and  I  suppose  you  keep  up  a  correspondence 
with  this  person,  in  spite  of  your  alleged  indifference  to 
her  now." 

"  I  didn't  say  I  am  indifferent  to  her ;  I  like  her  as 
well  as  I  can  like  any  one  besides  myself;  but  I  can't 
marry  her  because  she's  poor.  I  do  write  to  her,  and  it 
is  from  her  that  I  learned  what  I've  told  you.  Mrs. 
Desmond's  grandmother  was  the  sister  of  this  old  lady, 
but  there  was  a  family  quarrel,  and  there  has  been  no 
intercourse  kept  up  between  them.  Mrs.  Adair  is  nearly 
seventy  years  old,  and  her  only  descendant,  a  grand- 
daughter, was  drowned  a  few  years  ago.  To  shorten  the 
story,  she  wants  an  heiress,  and  she's  going  to  adopt  the 
eldest  daughter  of  Mrs.  Desmond,  and  if  she  pleases  her, 
she  intends  to  give  her  all  her  fortune." 

The  keen  face  of  the  elder  man  brightened  as  he 
listened  to  this  explanation.  When  it  was  finished  he 
slapped  his  son  on  the  back,  and  said  : 

"  You  are  a  sharp  one,  you  are,  John.  I  might  have 
known  that  you  were  not  going  to  compromise  yourself 
with  a  penniless  girl.  But  how  do  matters  stand  be- 
3 


50       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

tween  you  and  Miss  Desmond  ?  Is  it  all  fair  sailing, 
and  are  you  likely  to  enter  the  port  of  matrimony  as 
soon  as  the  fortune  is  hers  ?" 

A  cloud  came  over  the  face  of  Spiers,  and  he  brusquely 
said: 

"  Of  course  I  wasn't  going  to  tell  you  all  this,  if  I 
wasn't  sure  of  the  ground  I  stand  on.  I  am  engaged  to 
Clare  Desmond,  and  I  hardly  think  she'll  back  out,  after 
what  passed  between  us  this  afternoon ;  even  if  the  old 
man  does  rave  worse  than  he  did  when  he  came  on  us  in 
the  road.  He  spoke  of  you  as  if  you  Avere  beneath  con- 
tempt, and  treated  me  as  if  I  was  of  no  more  account 
than  the  dirt  under  his  feet." 

The  pallid  face  of  Spiers  flushed  slightly,  and  a  vindic- 
tive expression  came  into  his  eyes.  His  lips  trembled  as 
he  said: 

"But  once  in  my  life  have  I  done  anything  that  the 
law  could  touch  me  for.  I  used  the  name  of  a  man  who, 
I  knew,  was  a  good  friend  to  me ;  I  was  in  so  tight  a 
place  that  I  must  get  money  or  be  ruined.  Mr.  Crans- 
ton was  away  from  home  at  the  time,  and  I  thought  I 
could  take  up  the  note  before  it  fell  due.  I  couldn't  do 
it,  and  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Desmond  and  his 
partner*  They  saw  that  the  signature  was  not  genuine, 
but  they  kept  it  in  their  possession  till  Cranston  returned. 
The  old  man  would  not  prosecute  me,  though  Desmond 
urged  him  to  do  so,  as  he  thought  business  could  not  be 
safely  carried  on  if  such  transgressors  were  not  punished. 
I've  hated  him  ever  since,  and  I'd  be  glad  to  do  him  an 
evil  turn  if  I  could.  I  don't  know,  though,  why  I 
should  speak  of  this  now,  for  you've  known  all  about  it 
from  the  time  it  happened." 


A  PAIR  OF  PLOTTING  VILLAINS.   51 

"Desmond  taunted  me  with  it  this  evening.  It's  a 
wonder  to  me  that  he  hasn't  proclaimed  your  crime  to 
the  world." 

"  I  have  no  cause  to  thank  him  for  forbearance.  Old 
Cranston  had  been  a  good  friend  to  him,  and  he  knew 
that  he  liked  me  well  enough  to  wish  to  screen  me;  be- 
sides, the  note  was  for  a  trifling  amount,  which  wasn't 
worth  making  a  fuss  about." 

His  son  looked  at  him  with  a  half-contemptuous  ex- 
pression. 

"  So — you  risked  everything  for  a  contemptible  sum  of 
money  that  would  only  be  of  temporary  use  to  you.  Now 
if  I  had  made  up  my  rnind  to  do  such  a  thing  as  that,  I 
would  have  made  a  bold  sweep,  and  cleared  out  with  my 
spoil.  What's  the  use  of  doing  things  by  halves  ?  If  a 
man  acts  the  villain,  let  him  do  it  to  some  purpose. 

"I  dare  say  you  are  right,"  replied  his  father  calmly, 
"  but  in  that  case  it  wouldn't  have  answered.  Moreover, 
I  had  a  family,  and  I  could  not  take  them  with  me  in 
my  flight.  I  care  for  my  own,  John,  even  if  I  did  bring 
that  slur  upon  them." 

"  Oh !  I  dare  say,"  sneered  his  son,  "  and  you'd  do 
something  else  to  benefit  them,  which  would  be  as  ques- 
tionable as  that,  if  the  temptation  was  offered." 

He  regarded  his  father  with  so  strange  an  expression, 
that  he  asked,  in  some  heat : 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?  Because  I  have  tripped 
once,  do  you  suppose  I  am  capable  of  every  species  of 
villany?" 

"  I  don't  take  so  wide  a  range  as  that ;  but  I  think  if 
a  nice  little  scheme  was  proposed  to  you  which  would 
bring  you  in  a  pretty  sum,  without  any  risk  to  yourself, 


52       A    NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

you'd  hardly  refuse  to  embark  in  it.  Would  you, 
now?" 

The  keen  face  of  the  elder  grew  sharper,  the  eyes 
assumed  a  hungry  look,  and  he  whispered : 

"  If  it  was  safe,  and  all  under  the  rose,  I  wouldn't 
mind.  If  you've  got  anything  to  say,  speak  out,  for  I 
hate  beating  around  the  bush." 

John  Spiers  lowered  his  voice,  and  in  a  mysterious 
tone,  said : 

"  Don't  get  excited,  now,  for  what  I  am  going  to  say 
is  very  important.  That  old  lady  we  spoke  of  is  very 
frail  and  can't  last  more  than  a  year  or  two ;  but  that's 
longer  than  I  want  to  wait  for  her  hoards.  Can't  we 
fix  up  something  to  hurry  her  on  the  way  a  little  ? — 
something  that  would  be  sure,  but  not  too  quick  in  its 
action  ?  You  know  all  about  such  things,  and  you  could 
easily  do  what  I  want.  I  couldn't  marry  the  girl,  you 
know,  till  Mrs.  Adair  is  safely  disposed  of,  for  she'd 
never  look  at  me  as  the  husband  of  her  heiress." 

The  elder  man  became  more  cadaverous  than  ever  as 
he  listened  to  this  proposal.  He  faltered  : 

"  No,  no,  John  ;  that  will  never  answer.  How  could 
we  hope  to  escape  detection,  even  if  that  good  friend  of 
yours  is  willing  to  help  us  put  her  employer  out  of  the 
way  ?  I  suppose  you've  sounded  her  before  you  spoke 
to  me?" 

"  No,  indeed.  Claudia  Coyle  knows  nothing  of  my 
plans,  nor  would  I  for  the  world  make  her  the  agent  in 
this  thing.  I  do  not  want  power  over  her,  but  over 
another,  who  shall  become  our  innocent  accomplice,  and 
find  out  when  it  is  too  late  what  she  has  done." 

"  I  don't  understand  you,  John.  I  wish  you  would 
explain  yourself  more  clearly/' 


A  PAIR  OF  PLOTTING  VILLAINS.   53 

"If  you'll  have  patience,  I  will.  Clare  has  all  the 
silly  superstitions  that  negro  nurses  arc  so  fond  of  instil- 
ling into  children.  Among  others,  she  believes  in  magic 
philters  and  love-charms.  As  she  will  go  to  this  old 
lady  on  trial,  and  if  she  does  not  take  a  fancy  to  her  she 
may  be  sent  back  home,  and  the  other  sister  taken  in  her 
place,  Clare  will  very  naturally  wish  to  use  every  means 
to  win  her  great  aunt's  approbation.  We  can  give  her  a 
liquid  preparation  to  mix  with  the  old  lady's  wine,  and 
make  her  believe  that  it  will  have  no  injurious  effect 
upon  her  health.  You  must  compound  it  very  skilfully, 
that  the  gradual  decay  may  seem  to  be  that  of  old  age." 

"  But — but — you  are  making  your  future  wife  the 
agent  of  a  murder,  John ;  and  the  fortune  you  may  get 
a  little  sooner  by  this  course  will  be  too  dearly  purchased, 
I  think.  If  Mrs.  Adair  is  delicate,  old  as  she  is,  she 
cannot  last  much  longer." 

"  She  may  live  ten  years ;  such  old  cats  never  die  when 
they  are  in  other  people's  way.  Besides  I  must  have  some 
hold  on  Clare.  I  shall  not  feel  quite  sure  of  her  w"hen 
the  money  is  hers  unless  she  is  completely  in  my  power. 
Women  are  uncertain  always,  and  young  girls  are  hard 
to  manage  under  the  best  conditions." 

"But  if  Miss  Desmond  has  promised  to  marry  you 
she  must  love  you ;  and  if  her  aunt  opposes  your  suit, 
she,  like  every  romantic  girl,  will  cling  only  the  stronger 
to  you.  Indeed,  John,  I  think  it  will  be  a  refinement 
on  cruelty  to  make  her  the  innocent  agent  in  this  affair. 
The  other  girl,  for  money — as  you  say  she's  poor — might 
be  willing  to  aid  you." 

His  son  angrily  asked  : 

"Can't  you  understand  things  without  having  them 


54       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOBTUNE. 

explained  to  you  iu  detail  ?  If  I  have  no  hold  on  Clare 
Desmond  she  will  seize  the  first  opportunity  to  set  me 
adrift.  I  found  out  this  afternoon  that  she  has  only  been 
flirting  with  me,  but  I  took  such  measures  with  my  lady 
as  frightened  her  into  giving  me  a  promise  to  marry  me. 
I  played  the  furious,  despairing  lover  to  perfection,  I 
think.  I  made  her  believe  that  I  would  kill  her  and 
myself,  and  perhaps  some  one  else  she  loves,  if  she  re- 
fused my  prayers.  Ha !  ha !  If  she  had  been  a  few 
years  older  I  wouldn't  have  dared  to  play  that  game, 
but  she  took  it  all  for  gospel,  and  when  she  saw  her 
father  coming  she  pledged  herself  to  me  to  save  him  from 
danger.  It  was  a  rich  scene;  and  the  poor,  trembling 
thing  really  believed  I  was  in  earnest  about  killing  my- 
self, after  I  had  slaughtered  her  and  her  father.  Catch 
me  at  that !  I  shall  never  hurt  myself,  whatever  I  may 
be  tempted  to  do  to  others." 

As  John  Spiers  went  on  with  this  long  explanation 
the  expression  of  his  father's  face  changed  more  than 
once.  First,  dismay  at  finding  the  fatal  ruse  his  son  had 
spoken  of  a  necessity  if  Clare  and  her  future  fortune  was 
to  be  secured;  then  amusement  at  the  ease  with  which 
John  had  played  his  dramatic  part ;  and  at  the  last,  ap- 
proval of  the  energy  with  which  the  speaker  repudiated 
the  idea  of  self-destruction. 

He  burst  into  a  laugh,  and  said : 

"  That  was  rich !  The  girl  must  be  a  soft-hearted 
little  goose,  to  believe  you  could  be  in  earnest.  I  begin 
to  see  that  we  must  be  up  and  doing,  if  you  are  to 
be  benefited  by  that  old  woman's  money.  She  has  had 
her  threescore  and  ten  years  any  way,  and  that's  as  much 
as  she  can  enjoy.  Her  life  must  be  a  mere  drone  by  this 


A  PAIR  OP  PLOTTING  VILLAINS.   55 

time,  and  it  can't  be  such  a  bad  thing  to  send  her  to 
tune  her  harp  among  the  celestial  choir.  I  can  do  what 
you  Avish  with  perfect  safety  to  you  and  myself,  for  no 
one  will  be  likely  to  inquire  how  a  woman  of  seventy 
came  to  die  of  slow  decay.  I  promise  you  that  in  three 
or  six  months  at  the  furthest,  you  will  be  in  a  position  to 
exact  from  Miss  Desmond  the  fulfilment  of  her  pledge 
to  you." 

"  Then  it's  settled.  You  can  get  the  stuff  ready,  and 
I  can  soon  convince  Clare  that  it  will  be  to  her  own  in- 
terest to  use  it.  From  all  I  can  hear,  the  old  woman  is 
a  tough  customer  to  deal  with.  She's  full  of  whims,  and 
as  hard  to  please  as  a  spoiled  child.  Her  niece  will 
soon  find  it  necessary  to  use  this  valuable  love-charm — 
ha!  ha!" 

The  two  miscreants  laughed  in  chorus  as  merrily  as  if 
they  were  planning  some  ingenious  farce,  in  place  of  a 
murder  which  was  to  place  a  young  and  unsuspicious 
girl  in  their  toils. 

"When  can  you  have  the  elixir  of  fortune  ready?" 
asked  John.  "  The  invitation  to  Miss  Desmond  to  go 
to  Riverdale  will  not  be  long  delayed,  and  I  must  give 
it  to  Clare,  and  explain  its  wonderful  properties  to  her, 
before  she  goes  away." 

"  It  will  take  me  several  days  to  prepare  it,  but  you 
shall  have  it  in  time.  But  are  you  quite  sure  that  Miss 
Desmond's  parents  will  let  her  go  to  her  kinswoman  at 
all  ?  They  are  very  fond  of  her,  and  may  not  be  willing 
to  give  her  up."  • 

"  They'd  be  greater  fools  than  I  take  them  to  be,  if 
they  don't.  They  are  as  poor  as  church  mice,  and  this 
is  their  only  chance  to  get  their  heads  up  in  the  world 
ajrain.  I  have  no  fears  on  that  score." 


56       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"  I  believe  you  are  right.  There  is  the  bell  for  sup- 
per, and  your  mother  doesn't  like  to  be  kept  waiting. 
Run  up-stairs  and  say  that  I  will  come  as  soon  as  I've 
spoken  a  word  to  Beal." 

A  few  moments  later  the  two  were  seated  at  the  well- 
spread  supper  table,  and  they  ate  as  heartily  as  if  no 
evil  thought  was  assuming  a  tangible  shape  in  their 
callous  souls. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

FATHER   AND   DAUGHTER. 

DESMOND  walked  away  with  her  father 
\tJ.  in  so  pitiable  a  state  of  agitation  that  for  many 
moments  he  forbore  to  say  anything  further  to  her. 
Struck  to  the  heart,  as  he  was,  by  the  confession  of  her 
clandestine  engagement  to  a  man  for  whom  he  had  no 
respect,  who  had  nothing  to  recommend  him  to  his 
daughter's  notice  but  a  fine  person  and  plausible  manner, 
he  thought  it  best  to  allow  her  time  to  overcome  her 
overwhelming  agitation  before  he  attempted  to  utter  the 
remonstrances  that  crowded  to  his  lips. 

Mr.  Desmond  recalled  the  past  of  this  young  man  as 
far  as  it  was  known  to  himself,  and  he  felt  that  it  would 
be  a  less  grief  to  him  to  lay  his  child  in  a  premature 
grave  than  to  give  her,  in  her  young  purity,  to  the  lover 
who  had  so  daringly  asserted  his  right  to  her. 

As  a  boy,  John  Spiers  had  been  notoriously  depraved, 
and  at  seventeen  he  had  run  away  from  his  home  and 
gone  to  sea.  Five  years  were  spent  in  a  wandering  life, 


FA  THEE     AND     DAUGHTER.  57 

and  then  he  carne  back  with  a  considerable  sum  of 
money,  which  he  asserted  was  the  fruit  of  his  own 
industry.  He  joined  his  father  in  the  business  he  fol- 
lowed, and  for  the  last  seven  years  had  applied  himself 
in  a  desultory  manner  to  the  pursuit  he  had  undertaken. 
But  the  monotony  of  life  on  shore  palled  on  him,  and  at 
intervals  he  had  made  three  voyages  to  South  America, 
and  one  to  England  as  mate  on  a  merchant  ship,  in 
which  his  father  owned  a  share. 

Mr.  Desmond,  with  many  others,  had  doubts  as  to 
how  the  money  he  had  brought  home  with  him  from  his 
first  wanderings  had  been  acquired.  It  was  whispered 
that  a  passenger  on  the  vessel  on  which  lie  was  then 
acting  as  mate  had  died  in  a  sudden  and  mysterious 
manner;  that  John  Spiers  had  nursed  him  in  his  last 
illness  ;  and  when  his  effects  were  examined,  before  seal- 
ing them  up  for  transmission  to  his  relatives,  a  small 
box,  which  the  sick  man  had  carefully  guarded,  was 
nowhere  to  be  found. 

As  others  had  free  admission  to  Mr.  Jones'  state-room, 
the  theft  could  not  certainly  be  fixed  on  the  attentive 
mate ;  but  when  the  facts  became  known  to  those  who 
had  known  Spiers  in  his  boyhood,  few  persons  gave  him 
even  the  benefit  of  a  doubt.  His  father  enlarged  his 
business  soon  after,  but  he  asserted  that  a  kinsman  in 
Massachusetts  had  left  him  a  legacy,  and  to  that  his  son 
had  added  fifteen  hundred  dollars  saved  by  him  from  his 
wages. 

With  these  recollections  surging  through  his  excited 
mind,  Mr.  Desmond  remained  silent  till  a  turn  in  the 
road  concealed  them  from  the  sight  of  the  man 
who  glowered  after  them  with  the  resolution  in  his 


58       A     NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

mind  to  control  the  fate  of  his  victim  at  any  cost  to 
herself. 

Clare  drew  a  long  breath  of  relief,  as  the  intervening 
trees  hid  them  from  the  lover  whom  she  believed  half 
maddened  by  the  fear  of  losing  herself;  for  Spiers  had 
acted  his  part  so  well,  that  she  believed  his  simulated 
passion  to  be  genuine,  and  she  pitied  him,  while  a  shrink- 
ing feeling  of  abhorrence  at  the  thought  of  marrying 
him  took  possession  of  her  soul. 

Her  father's  long  silence  terrified  her  even  more  than 
harsh  words  could  have  done,  and  she  at  last  summoned 
courage  to  falter : 

"Dear  papa,  I  have  not  been  so  much  to  blame. 
I — I  allowed  Mr.  Spiers  to  walk  with  me,  because — be- 
cause I  was  often  alone,  and  he  made  himself  very  agree- 
able. He  has  seen  so  much,  you  know ;  and  he  gives 
very  amusing  descriptions  of  his  travels,  and  of  the 
people  he  has  seen  in  different  countries.  Oh  !  papa, 
don't  look  at  me  that  way,  or  I  shall  not  have  courage 
to— to— " 

Her  voice  died  away  in  an  inarticulate  murmur,  and 
Desmond  sternly  said : 

"A  girl  who  has  the  courage  to  face  life  as  the  be- 
trothed of  the  man  we  have  just  left,  should  not  quail 
before  anything.  Clare,  I  could  not  have  believed  this 
thing  of  you.  You,  my  cherished  child,  beloved  beyond 
the  others,  unjust  as  that  was  to  them,  have  struck  a 
blow  to  my  heart  by  this  underhand  conduct  that  you 
will  never  understand  till  you  have  children  of  your  own 
to  ignore  your  right  to  their  confidence." 

His  voice  broke,  and  Clare  eagerly  said : 

"  I  did  not  mean  anything  serious,  papa ;  I  declare  to 


FATHER     AND     DAUGHTEE.  59 

you  I  did  not.  I  was  only  flattered  by  his  attentions, 
because  the  girls  at  the  school  think  him  so  handsome; 
and — and — he  seemed  to  be  so  much  pleased  with  me." 

"Flattered  by  the  notice  of  a  creature  who  is  unfit  to 
touch  your  hand !  whose  glance  is  pollution  to  a  pure 
child  like  you  !  Clare,  the  night  you  were  born  I  knelt 
down  and  thanked  God  for  the  precious  gift  he  had  be- 
stowed upon  me ;  but  dear  as  you  have  always  been  to 
me,  I  can  ask  him  to  take  you  back  into  his  safe-keep- 
ing, sooner  than  give  you  to  that  man  we  have  just  left." 

"Oh!  papa — don't — don't  say  that!"  gasped  the  agi- 
tated girl,  "  for  I  must — I  must  keep  my  word.  I — I 
have  pledged  myself  to  marry  him,  and  he  will  not 
allow  me  to  retract." 

"  What  power  has  Spiers  over  you  to  compel  you  to 
fulfil  a  contract  unsanctioned  by  your  parents  ?"  asked 
her  father,  with  sudden  fire.  "No  promise  is  binding 
upon  you  without  the  consent  of  your  mother  and  my- 
self, and  you  may  rest  assured  it  will  'never  be  given  to 
a  union  between  you  and  John  Spiers." 

Clare  could  onlv  repeat,  in  faint  tones : 

"  I  must  keep  my  word,  papa." 

"  What  hold  has  that  wretch  over  you,  that  you  insist 
on  ruining  your  life  by  giving  him  the  control  of  it? 
Are  you  mad?  Do  you  know  what  he  is?  He  has 
been  a  wild,  bad  man  all  his  life.  He  has  been  suspected 
of  tampering  with  a  man's  life,  that  he  might  possess 
himself  of  property  that  was  missing  after  his  death.  I 
and  a  few  others  know  that  his  father  has  been  guilty  of 
forgery,  and  I  have  the  assurance  in  my  own  mind  that 
the  son  was  privy  to  the  transaction.  After  hearing  this, 
you  will  not  surely  repeat  that  you  are  bound  in  honor 


60      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOETUNE. 

to  him.  Honor!  I  hardly  think  John  Spiers  under- 
stands the  meaning  of  the  word." 

Clare  became  deathly  pale,  and  with  great  effort  said, 
in  a  choking  voice : 

"  I  must  not  believe  these  things,  papa ;  many  men 
are  suspected  of  crimes  they  never  thought  of  committing. 
Mr.  Spiers  is  a  man  of  fiery  temper,  and  he  may  have 
done  many  wrong  things,  but  I  refuse  to  believe  that  he 
could  have  done  what  you  accuse  him  of.  I  will  tell 
you  the  truth  :  I  have  foolishly  encouraged  him.  He — 
he  almost  wrung  from  me  the  promise  to  marry  him  ; 
but  I  am  afraid — yes,  afraid  to — to  break  my  word. 
He  would  be  so  desperate  then,  for  he  seems  so  madly 
in  love  with  me,  that — that  I  do  not  know  what  he 
might  do." 

"  Then  he  has  dared  to  threaten  you  !  He  is  a  cow- 
ardly cur,  I  tell  you,  Clare,  and  he  would  never  attempt 
anything  that  could  bring  on  him  the  vengeance  of  the 
law.  Leave  me  to  deal  with  him,  my  child.  Only 
assure  me  that  you  do  not  love  him,  and  I  will  extricate 
you  from  him  without  trouble." 

"  Love  him  ! "  repeated  Clare,  and  her  frame  thrilled 
with  repulsion  as  the  words  passed  her  lips.  But  the 
denial  that  trembled  on  them  was  repressed,  as  the 
memory  of  Spiers'  threats  came  back  to  her,  and  the 
horrible  vision  his  words  had  conjured  up  arose  before 
her  fancy,  nerving  her  to  endure  anything  herself,  sooner 
than  endanger  a  life  so  precious  to  her  as  that  of  her 
father's.  She  slowly  said  : 

"I  am  too  young  to  understand  my  own  feelings, 
perhaps,  but  I  have  recklessly  engaged  his  to  that  extent 
that  I  believe  it  would  be  a  great  wrong  to  him  to  give 


FATHER     AND     DAUGHTER.  61 

him  up,  even  at  your  command.  Dearest  father,  do  not 
press  me  further  now.  Mr.  Spiers  does  not  ask  me  to 
many  him  at  once.  He  spoke  of  a  probation  of  a  year 
or  two ;  hoping,  I  suppose,  that  in  that  time  he  would 
recommend  himself  to  you,  and  win  your  consent  to  our 
union.  I  entreat  that  you  will  forbear  toward  him ; 
that  you  will  be  courteous  to  him,  and — and  something 
may — " 

Her  voice  died  away  suddenly,  for  she  dared  not  utter 
the  hope  that  some  avenue  of  escape  would  be  opened  to 
her,  and  this  man,  who  had  now  become  so  odious  to  her, 
be  forever  cast  out  of  her  life. 

Her  father  waited  a  moment,  expecting  her  to  go  on, 
but  finding  that  she  did  not,  he  gravely  said : 

"  You  puzzle  me,  as  well  as  distress  me  sorely,  Clare. 
There  is  some  mystery  in  this  affair  that  I  cannot  com- 
prehend ;  for  I  cannot  believe  that  you  are  really  attached 
to  so  inferior  a  person  as  John  Spiers.  It  is  great  pre- 
sumption in  him  to  approach  you  in  the  character  of  a 
lover,  for  the  position  of  his  family  is  equivocal,  his  own 
reputation  by  no  means  good,  and  but  for  my  loss  of 
fortune,  you  could  never  have  been  thrown  in  contact 
with  such  as  he.  He  has  been  a  common  sailor,  then 
steward  on  a  ship,  and  only  arose  to  the  position  of  mate 
on  a  vessel  that  is  partly  owned  by  his  father.  With 
such  antecedents,  do  you  think  this  man  a  fitting  match 
for  the  descendant  of  the  Desmonds  and  De  Courcys  ?  " 

"  We  live  in  a  democratic  country,"  said  Clare,  in  a 
low  tone ;  "  then  why  refer  to  my  ancestors,  papa  ?  Every 
man  here  must  stand  or  fall,  according  to  his  own  strength 
and  energy  of  purpose.  As  to  the  mystery  of  my  en- 
tanglement with  Mr.  Spiers,  I  was  reading  only  the 


62       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

other  day  the  assertion  that  no  law  can  account  for  the 
caprices  of  the  blind  god.  The  writer  also  went  on  to 
say,  that  the  most  incongruous  matches  often  turn  out 
well  and  happily.  Console  yourself  with  that  thought, 
for  I  again  assure  you  that  I  feel  bound  to  keep  my 
pledge  to  my  lover." 

Her  father  angrily  replied  : 

"  You  refuse  to  give  me  your  confidence ;  but  I,  in 
my  turn,  assure  you  that  I  will  use  every  effort  that  is 
possible,  to  .save  you  from  so  wretched  a  fate  as  must  be 
yours,  as  the  wife  of  such  a  miscreant  as  I  believe  Spiers 
to  be." 

Clare  breathed  a  brief  prayer  that  he  might  succeed  in 
rescuing  her  from  the  ignoble  bondage  into  which  she 
had  fallen ;  but  the  next  moment  she  was  frightened  at 
the  possibilities  that  arose  before  her,  and  she  grasped 
her  father's  hand,  and  pitifully  entreated : 

"  You  will  be  careful,  papa ;  you  will  not  be  rude  or 
harsh  toward  him?  You — you  will  remember  how 
wildly  he  loves  me,  and  not  provoke  him  to  do  anything 
desperate.  No  one  can  foretell  what  a  man  of  his  tem- 
perament may  do  if — if  he  feels  himself  badly  treated." 

"Have  no  fears  on  my  account,  Clare.  I  shall  not 
forget  that  I  am  a  gentleman,  though  I  know  that  I 
have  not  one  to  deal  with  in  this  matter.  If  you  have 
in  your  heart  any  feeling  stronger  than  pity  for  Spiers, 
put  it  away  from  you  resolutely,  for  you  cannot,  and 
shallaiot  marry  him." 

A  little  cheered  by  this  assurance,  Clare  said : 

"  Let  us  talk  no  more  on  this  subject  now,  papa.  We 
are  getting  near  home,  and  I  beg  that  you  will  spare  me 
any  further  remonstrance  to-night.  Of  course  you  will 


FATHER     AND     DAUGHTER.  63 

tell  mamma  how  thoughtless  I  have  been,  but  if  you 
love  me,  you  will  not  do  it  till  after  I  have  retired  for 
the  night," 

"Yes,  I  will  keep  from  her  as  long  as  possible  the 
stunning  and  mortifying  fact  that  you  have  taken  your 
fate  in  your  own  hands,  and  are  ready  to  run  to  the 
devil  with  one  of  his  own  children,"  said  Desmond,  with 
intense  bitterness.  "Remember  one  thing,  Clare;  the 
day  that  gives  your  hand  to  that  man  will  behold  a  final 
rupture  between  you  and  your  own  family.  As  his  wife, 
you  cease  to  be  my  daughter.  You  think,  perhaps,  that 
he  has  money,  and  he  can  give  you  back  the  luxury  I 
can  no  longer  surround  you  with.  Sacrifice  yourself  for 
it,  if  your  will  proves  stronger  than  mine,  and  then  break 
your  heart  over  the  certainty  you  will  soon  obtain,  that 
you  have  sold  yourself  into  slavery  to  a  brutal  tyrant,  to 
whom  you  are  only  attractive  because  you  have  youth 
and  fair  looks." 

Clare  felt  as  if  she  must  cry  out  in  her  anguish  and 
say : 

"  I  loathe  him  as  deeply  as  you  do,  but  I  fear  him 
more.  It  is  for  your  life,  for  my  own,  that  I  am  con- 
tending, although  you  use  such  fearful  words  to  me." 

But  she  dared  not  speak  the  truth.  She  had  no  idea 
how  lightly  her  father  could  have  blown  away  that 
dreadful  cloud  which  had  so  suddenly  fallen  on  her  life, 
if  she  had  only  possessed  courage  to  repeat  to  him  all 
that  had  passed  between  herself  and  Spiers  that  afternoon. 

That  her  desperate  lover  would  shoot  Mr.  Desmond 
down,  in  a  sudden  paroxysm  of  demoniac  passion,  was 
the  dread  that  had  taken  possession  of  her  heart;  and  to 
save  him  from  that  danger,  she  felt  as  if  self-immolation 


64       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

was  possible  to  her.  She  also  thought  of  her  own  warm, 
young  life-blood  shed  by  the  hand  of  her  infuriated 
adorer,  if  she  proved  false  to  him  at  last,  and  with  the 
terror  he  had  lately  inspired  in  her,  she  feared  to  betray 
to  those  who  might  have  extricated  her  from  his  power 
the  conflict  that  raged  in  her  soul. 

Mrs.  Desmond  had  walked  down  to  the  gate,  and  was 
leaning  upon  it,  watching  the  two  approach.  With  the 
quick  intuition  of  love  she  saw  that  .something  had  gone 
very  much  amiss,  and  she  looked  from  one  face  to  the 
other,  her  bright  eyes  trying  to  pierce  to  the  truth  but 
partially  masked  by  the  attempt  to  be  calm  as  they  drew 
near  her. 

"  You  are  very  pale,  my  darling,"  she  said  to  Clare, 
"yet  it  is  a  warm  evening,  and  I  thought  your  walk 
would  make  new  roses  bloom  on  your  cheeks." 

"  I  am  very  tired/'  was  the  reply.  "  I  think  a  cup  of 
tea  will  do  me  good,  and  there  is  the  bell  now." 

A  faint  silvery  tinkle  came  from  the  veranda,  on 
which  stood  Christine,  the  second  daughter — a  very 
young  girl  yet,  who  looked  like  a  fairer  edition  of  her 
handsome  mother.  She  wore  her  hair  in  close  curls,  and 
still  wore  the  short  dress  and  high  boots  which  had 
lately  come  in  fashion  for  very  young  girls.  They  suited 
her  especially  now,  for  she  was  enchanted  with  the  new 
world  open  to  her  in  her  country  life,  and  entered  with 
energy  into  all  old  Caesar's  efforts  to  improve  the  appear- 
ance of  the  long-neglected  place  which  J,iad  fallen  to  his 
charge. 

No  words  were  exchanged  between  the  three  who  came 
up  the  weedy  carriage  drive,  and  when  they  gained  the 
steps,  Christine  exclaimed : 


FATHER     AND     DAUGHTER.  65 

"  I  declare  you  look  as  solemn  as  three  well-behaved 
owls.  As  that's  the  bird  of  wisdom,  papa,  you  and  ma 
cannot  take  exceptions  to  my  comparison.  Clare  looks 
like  a  very  white  one,  and  you  elders  like  respectable 
gray  ones.  What  has  sister  been  doing  with  herself  that 
she  seems  ready  to  faint  ?  " 

"Nonsense,"  said  Clare,  in  a  vexed  tone;  "nothing  is 
the  matter  with  me.  I  am  only  overcome  by  the  heat 
of  the  evening,  and  I  have  taken  a  long  walk." 

"  Oh,  if  that's  all,  a  cup  of  tea  will  set  you  up  again, 
and  it's  quite  ready.  And,  mamma,  my  late  radishes  are 
not  so  hot  as  you  predicted  they  would  be.  I  have  a 
nice  dish- of  the  prettiest  little  pink  things  you  ever  ate. 
Victor  brought  home  a  mess  of  fish,  but  he  fell  in  the 
pond  at  Mr.  West's,  and  Tom  pulled  him  out  again.  I 
made  him  drink  some  hot  tea  and  go  to  bed,  and  he's 
fast  asleep  now." 

Mrs.  Desmond  hurried  in,  to  look  after  the  condition 
of  her  son  herself,  and  her  husband  said : 

"  What  a  busy  bee  you  are,  Christine.  I  declare, 
child,  you  will  shame  me  out  of  my  indolent  habits  yet." 

"  That's  what  I've  been  trying  to  do,"  said  the  saucy 
girl,  with  a  brilliant  smile.  "  If  I  can  only  get  you 
away  from  your  moping  chair  once,  I  think  you'd  find 
yourself  so  much  better  that  you'd  take  to  hard  work, 
and  help  ma  and  me  in  our  little  plans  for  making  things 
nicer.  Come  now — I've  put  a  vase  of  June  roses  on  the 
table,  and  you  can't  think  how  pretty  it  looks.  Old 
Katy  says  I'm  getting  to  be  a  real  help  to  her." 

"And  to  me  too,  dear,  for  I  should  not  know  what  to 
do  without  two  such  bright  spirits  as  you  and  your 
mother.  I  am  going  to  work  with  you  after  this., 
4 


66       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

Christine,  and  you  shall  see  what  wonders  I  will  accom- 
plish." 

"  Don't  promise  too  much  at  first,"  cried  Christine, 
"for  people  that  promise  much  don't  often  keep  their 
word.  You  see,  you've  not  been  accustomed  to  work 
with  your  hands,  papa,  and  you  mustn't  try  too  much  in 
tho  beginning,  or  you'll  get  disgusted  with  the  whole 
thing,  and  throw  it  up." 

"  What  a  little  Solomon  it  is  ! "  said  her  father,  making 
an  effort  to  smile  down  on  her.  "  Here  is  mamma,  and 
I  think  we  had  better  go  in  to  tea." 

He  passed  his  arm  around  Christine,  and  Clare  felt  as 
if  she  was  somehow  cast  out  from  the  high  place  she  had 
hitherto  held  in  his  regard.  Her  tender  heart  ached  and 
fluttered,  and  she  was  sorely  tempted  to  throw  herself 
upon  his  breast,  and  implore  his  protection  from  the 
lover  lie  thought  her  so  infatuated  with  that  she  wras 
ready  to  marry  him  in  spite  of  all  the  opposition  that 
could  be  offered  on  the  part  of  her  friends. 

They  passed  through  a  hall  of  moderate  dimensions, 
and  found  the  table  set  on  a  wide  back  gallery  shaded  by 
an  immense  walnut  tree.  Mr.  Desmond  praised  Chris- 
tine's taste  and  neatness,  but  he  had  no  appetite  for  the 
food  set  before  him.  Clare  pitifully  thought : 

"  It  is  my  fault  that  he  cannot  eat ;  I  hoped  to  be  a 
help  and  a  comfort  to  him,  and  now  I  am  only  a  worry 
and  a  burden.  Oh  !  if  I  only  dared  to  tell  him  all ! " 

Christine  noticed  that  her  father  merely  trifled  with 
the  food  he  took  on  his  plate,  and  she  said : 

"  If  you  don't  eat  one  of  my  radishes,  papa,  I  shall 
think  it  was  not  worth  while  to  raise  them.  See  what  a 
beautiful  color  they  are ;  and  they  are  nice  and  crisp,  too." 


LACERATED     HEABTS.  67 

Mr.  Desmond  took  one,  with  a  smile,  and  said : 

"  I  believe  you  are  to  be  the  pet  and  darling  of  our 
humble  home  after  all,  Christine.  You  are  a  good  child, 
and  I  believe  you  will  never  willingly  give  your  parents 
a  heartache." 

Clare  had  made  no  effort  to  eat.  She  sat  silently  sip- 
ping her  tea ;  but  when  her  father  spoke  thus,  she  pushed 
the  cup  from  her,  and  rising  from  the  table,  said : 

"  Please  excuse  me,  mamma ;  I  have  a  headache,  and 
I  think  I  will  go  to  my  room  and  lie  down." 

The  mother  nodded,  and  she  went  away. 

The  parents  exchanged  glances,  and  Christine  said : 

11 1  hope  Clare  is  not  going  to  be  sick.  She  looks  so 
out  of  sorts  this  evening,  that  I  can't  imagine  what  has 
happened  to  her." 

"  What  I  think  can  never  happen  to  you,  Christine, 
for  you  have  less  vanity  and  nonsense  about  you  than 
your  sister,"  said  Mr.  Desmond  in  a  tone  that  caused  the 
young  girl  to  open  her  eyes  widely,  for  Clare  had  hitherto 
been  the  pride  and  darling  of  his  heart. 


CHAPTER   Y. 

LACERATED   HEARTS. 

A  FTER  uttering  the  bitter  words  he  found  it  impossible 
-£j-  to  repress,  Mr.  Desmond  abruptly  left  the  table, 
and  throwing  on  his  hat,  went  far  away  from  the  house 
to  think  over  in  solitude  all  that  had  passed  between 
himself  and  his  daughter  that  evening,  and  try  to  com- 


68       A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN    A    FOETUNE. 

prehend  why  she  so  obstinately  clung  to  the  promise  she 
had  given  Spiers.  That  she  loved  him  he  could  not  be- 
lieve, for  it  seemed  to  him  that  a  girl  reared  as  Clare  had 
been — one  so  gentle,  so  refined  in  all  her  ways — would 
instinctively  recoil  from  the  familiar  approach  of  such  a 
man ;  yet  she  declared  herself  bound  to  marry  him,  and 
insisted  on  fulfilling  the  contract,  though  he  plainly  saw 
that  she  was  not  happy  in  the  bonds  she  had  forged  for 
herself. 

He  plunged  into  the  tangled  woodland,  and  walked 
for  hours  brooding  in  bitterness  of  heart  over  this  new 
trouble;  while  those  he  had  left  behind  him  marvelled 
as  to  what  could  so  have  upset  the  head  of  the  house, 
and  his  eldest  daughter.  In  an  aggrieved  tone  Christine 
said : 

"  Pa  didn't  more  than  taste  his  radish,  after  all.  What 
is  the  matter,  ma,  that  he  and  Clare  seemed  so  much  vexed 
with  each  other  ?  He  has  always  loved  her  best,  I  know ; 
but  this  evening  I  begin  to  think  my  turn  has  come  to 
be  more  to  him  than  my  sister  is." 

"My  dear,  I  hope  you  would  not  rejoice  in  an  es- 
trangement between  your  father  and  sister,  because  there 
would  be  a  chance  for  you  to  step  in  and  take  her  place  ? 
That  would  not  be  like  my  blithe,  generous-hearted 
Christine." 

"  No,  mamma ;  I  don't  think  I  could  be  mean  enough 
for  that ;  but  I  love  pa  so  much,  that  I  should  like  him 
to  think  at  least  as  much  of  me  as  he  does  of  Clare.  I 
think  I  can  guess  what  has  made  him  angry  with  her. 
Victor  says  that  John  Spiers  has  walked  with  her  almost 
in  sight  of  the  house  several  times,  and  then  turned  back. 
I  suppose  pa  found  him  with  her  when  he  went  to  meet 


LACERATED     HEARTS.  69 

her  this  evening.  He's  very  handsome,  and  full  of  fun, 
and  I  only  wish  he  had  come  on  to  the  house.  If  he 
had,  maybe  pa  wouldn't  have  been  so  angry  with  sister." 

"You  are  talking  nonsense,  Christine.  What  have 
we  in  common  with  those  vulgar  people?  I  am  only 
astonished  that  Clare  could  have  allowed  such  a  man  as 
John  Spiers  to  make  her  acquaintance." 

"  Half  the  girls  in  town  are  in  love  with  him,  any 
way  ;  and  in  winter,  when  he  wears  a  Spanish  cloak,  he 
looks  like  a  real  cavalier.  Old  Mr.  Spiers  is  getting 
rich,  they  say ;  and  if  they  are  vulgar,  you  know,  ma, 
that  people  overlook  that  where  there  is  plenty  of 
money." 

"  You  echo  the  opinions  of  others,  Christine,  for  you 
know  too  little  of  life  to  understand  such  things  your- 
self," said  Mrs.  Desmond,  in  a  tone  of  annoyance. 
"  Let  me  tell  you  this,  though,  for  your  future  guidance. 
There  can  be  no  real  sympathy  of  nature  or  feeling  be- 
tween those  who  have  been  reared  among  coarse  people, 
and  those  who  have  lived  in  an  atmosphere  of  refine- 
ment from  childhood.  This  young  man  may  be  hand- 
some as  Apollo,  but  he  has  not  risen  above  his  surround- 
ings, and  no  calamity  could  appear  greater  to  me  than 
for  Clare  to  become  entangled  with  him  in  any  way. 
As  to  money,  there  are  some  things  that  are  too  infinitely 
precious  to  be  bought  by  it,  potent  as  its  power  is." 

"  Oh,  mamma !  what  a  sermon  you  have  preached  to 
me !  Clare  ought  to  have  heard  you,  for  she  is  the  cul- 
prit after  all.  I  suppose  she  has  been  flirting  with  Mr. 
Spiers,  and  pa  has  found  her  out.  That  must  be  the 
reason  he  is  so  angry  with  her,  since  you  say  you  couldn't 
bear  her  to  marry  him." 


70       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

"  God  forbid  such  a  possibility  as  that ! "  said  Mrs. 
Desmond,  fervently.  "  Even  to  couple  the  name  of  such 
a  man  with  that  of  my  pure  child  seems  profanation. 
You  must  not  talk  so  freely,  Christine.  You  are  too 
young  to  have  much  judgment,  and  love  and  marriage 
are  not  fit  themes  for  a  school-girl  to  discuss." 

Christine  tossed  her  head  slightly,  and  muttered,  as 
she  turned  away : 

"At  our  school,  out  of  lesson-time,  the  girls  don't  talk 
of  much  else,  anyway." 

She  went  into  the  pretty  room  she  occupied  jointly 
with  her  sister,  and  found  Clare  lying  across  the  foot  of 
the  bed,  with  her  face  buried  in  the  pillow.  Christine 
poured  cool  water  in  the  basin,  and  coming  to  her  sister's 
side,  gently  said : 

"Let  me  bathe  your  forehead,  Clare.  That  is  the 
best  remedy  for  the  headache ;  or  would  you  rather  have 
me  thread  my  fingers  through  your  hair?  Ma  likes 
that  when  she  is  ill." 

Clare  moved  impatiently,  and  spoke  in  a  muffled 
voice  from  the  bag  of  feathers  in  which  she  had  concealed 
her  face. 

"Please  let  me  alone,  Christine.  It  isn't  my  head, 
but  my  heart  that  is  aching,  and  I  don't  think  you  can 
find  a  remedy  for  that." 

"Oh-h!  then  I  suppose  you've  got  a  lover  sure 
enough.  Girls'  hearts  don't  get  to  that  pass  without 
something  of  that  sort,  do  they  ?  " 

Clare  raised  her  flushed  face,  and  with  great  energy 
exclaimed  : 

"  I  wish  I  had  never  been  born  !  I  wish  I  was  dead  ! 
for  there  is  nothing  worth  living  for,  now  that  papa  is 


LACEKATED     HEARTS.  71 

estranged  from  me.  And  all  the  rest  of  you  will  soon 
look  as  coldly  on  me  as  he  does.  O  dear !  O  dear ! 
what  is  to  become  of  me  ?  " 

"  Now  I  know  there's  a  lover  in  the  case ! "  cried 
Christine,  triumphantly.  "And  I  know  who  it  is,  too. 
You  needn't  think  that  I  am  to  be  bamboozled,  and 
kept  in  the  dark,  when  I've  got  two  eyes  in  my  head; 
and  very  sharp  ones  they  are,  too." 

Clare  sunk  down  again,  saying : 

"  I  am  too  miserable  to  care  what  you  have  seen,  or 
what  you  know.  Nothing  can  ever  make  me  happy 
again." 

"Now  that's  coming  it  rather  too  strong,"  was  the 
rather  slangy  reply  of  the  younger  sister.  "  There's  no 
use  in  taking  it  so  hard,  if  pa  won't  let  you  marry  Mr. 
Spiers.  He'll  not  do  it;  and  neither  will  ma,  for  she 
thinks  him — well,  it's  no  use  to  tell  you  what,  but  you'll 
have  to  make  up  your  mind  to  give  him  up,  and  not 
break  your  heart  over  it  either." 

"  Break  my  heart  over  him  ! "  said  Clare,  her  head 
again  emerging  from  the  pillow.  "  I  think  not,  Chris, 
unless  I  am  forced  to — " 

She  stopped  abruptly,  and  plunging  back  again,  lay 
silent,  almost  motionless ;  and  Christine  pondered  on  her 
last  words,  unable  to  comprehend  their  meaning.  "  Forced 
to — what  ?  "  she  asked  herself,  and  finally  concluded  the 
sentence  to  suit  her  own  ideas.  "  Forced  to  give  him  up, 
I  suppose  she  meant.  I  am  sorry  for  it,  for  I  think  Mr. 
Spiers  would  make  a  nice,  amusing  brother-in-law.  He 
can  tell  all  about  foreign  people,  and  their  funny  ways. 
It's  a  pity  pa  and  ma  can't  like  him,  even  if  his  parents 
are  coarse  people.  We've  got  to  be  so  poor,  and  Clare 


72       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

would  have  a  nice  home  of  her  own,  and  may  be  she 
could  help  poor  papa." 

While  Christine  cogitated  thus  in  her  childish  sim- 
plicity, ignorant  of  the  most  vital  points  in  question, 
Mrs.  Desmond  threw  a  veil  over  her  head  and  went  in 
search  of  her  husband. 

After  a  long  walk  through  the  sombre  woods,  through 
which  the  bright  moonlight  dimly  penetrated,  she  met 
him  slowly  returning  toward  the  house.  She  put  her 
arm  through  his,  and  said  : 

"  What  have  you  discovered,  Dessy,  darling  ?  I  knew, 
from  Clare's  face  and  yours,  as  soon  as  I  saw  them,  that 
something  very  unpleasant  had  passed  between  you. 
You  must  not  be  too  hard  on  her,  dear,  for  she  is  very 
young,  and,  of  course,  thoughtless,  and  she  has  always 
been  a  good  and  gentle  child  to  us." 

"  That  is  true,  Nettie ;  but  a  spirit  of  opposition  has 
been  aroused  in  her,  and  in  spite  of  all  I  could  say,  she 
insisted  that  she  must  keep  the  pledge  she  has  given  to 
that  low  fellow,  to  give  him  her  hand  when  he  is  ready 
to  marry  her." 

Mrs.  Desmond  uttered  a  little  cry,  and  convulsively 
grasped  the  arm  on  which  she  leaned. 

"  You — you  cannot  mean  that  she  is  willing  to  throw 
herself  away  on — on  young  Spiers  ?  I  suppose  it  is  he 
you  referred  to." 

"Yes — I  found  them  loitering  along  the  road  together, 
and  in  spite  of  what  I  had  said  to  him,  he  actually 
braved  me,  and  said  he  had  the  right  to  walk  with  her, 
as  she  had  promised  to  become  his  wife." 

"Oh,  is  it  as  bad  as  that?  And  not  a  word  said  to 
us  before  she  gave  that  man  the  power  to  speak  to  you 


LACERATED     HEAR.TS.  73 

in  such  a  manner !  Oh,  my  heart  is  half  broKen !  I 
could  not  have  believed  that  Clare  would  deceive  us  in 
this  way.  What  did  she  say  to  you  ?  How  could  she 
excuse  her  conduct  ?  " 

"  What  she  said  is  the  strangest  part  of  the  affair. 
She  declared  she  had  no  idea  of  engaging  herself  to  him, 
but  he  reproached  her  with  trifling  with  him,  and  forced 
from  her  the  promise  she  insists  she  must  abide  by.  I 
suppose  she  has  got  the  silly  notion  in  her  head,  that 
Spiers  will  shoot  himself  if  she  refuses  him  now.  If  he 
never  dies  till  he  does  that,  I  think  he  will  be  as  im- 
mortal as  the  Wandering  Jew." 

"  I  will  disabuse  her  mind  of  that  idea.  If  she  does 
not  fancy  herself  in  love  with  him,  we  shall  save  her  yet. 
It  would  be  too  dreadful  to  give  my  child  up  to  such  a 
fate  as  hers  would  be,  as  the  wife  of  a  dissipated  prodigal, 
even  if  John  Spiers  is  not  something  worse." 

"  Yes,  it  would  degrade  and  ruin  her  to  step  down  to 
his  level.  I  have  said  all  that  was  possible  to  enlighten 
Clare  as  to  his  true  character ;  but  her  only  reply  was, 
that  she  had  given  her  word,  and  must  keep  it.  I  even 
threatened  to  cast  her  off,  and  she  said  the  same,  though 
I  could  not  help  feeling,  all  the  time,  that  some  unspoken 
dread  filled  her  mind,  which  had  more  to  do  with  her 
determination  than  any  deep-seated  feeling  of  affection 
for  him." 

"  What  should  she  dread  more  than  losing  the  love 
and  confidence  of  her  parents  ?  If  she  really  does  not 
love  him,  we  shall  soon  extricate  her  from  his  toils.  I 
suppose  the  man  must  be  in  love  with  her,  or  he  would 
not  wish  to  marry  her.  She  has  no  dower  but  her  own 
sweetness  and  beauty,  no  expectations  of  any  kind ;  for 


74       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

we  have  no  rich  relations  except  my  old  grandaunt,  Mrs. 
Adair,  and  she  has  always  ignored  ray  existence  because 
my  mother  offended  her  by  marrying  a  man  she  did  not 
approve  of." 

"  I  had  forgotten  that  you  have  such  a  relative.  Of 
course  there  is  nothing  to  hope  from  her,  and  I  suppose 
Spiers  is  what  he  calls  in  love  with  Clare ;  that  is,  he 
has  taken  a  fancy  to  her  sweet  face  and  winning  ways ; 
but  he  would  tire  of  her  in  a  month,  and  end  by  treating 
her  with  brutal  indifference.  She  must  not  go  back  to 
that  school  again,  Nettie.  They  must  find  another 
music-teacher,  though  we  can  ill  spare  the  pittance  they 
pay  her.  We  must  dig  and  delve  here,  and  get  a  living 
out  of  the  old  worn-out  ground  as  we  best  can." 

"  Yes,  dear,  I  can  bear  every  privation  cheerfully  if 
we  can  only  save  our  darling  from  the  fate  that  threatens 
her.  Let  us  go  in  now.  The  dew  is  falling  heavily, 
and  it  grows  late." 

The  next  few  days  were  passed  by  Clare  in  the  house, 
in  a  state  of  fitful  wretchedness;  and  when  she  knew 
that  her  father  had  gone  into  the  town  her  heart  died 
within  her  with  dread  of  the  result  that  might  ensue 
from  a  meeting  between  Mr.  Desmond  and  her  lover. 

But  he  came  back  safe,  though  very  sad  and  stern- 
looking.  He  had  held  an  interview  with  the  elder 
Spiers  and  his  son,  and  both  had  made  every  effort  to 
conciliate  him,  and  win  his  consent  to  a  formal  betrothal 
between  the  two  young  people. 

When  Mr.  Desmond  asked  why  Spiers  had  with- 
drawn his  opposition  to  such  a  disinterested  marriage 
for  his  son,  a  plausible  reply  was  given  to  the  effect  that 
the  father  believed  a  union  with  the  girl  on  whom  John 


LACERATED     HEARTS.  75 

had  set  his  heart  would  be  the  best  guarantee  for  his 
future  steadiness,  and  that  the  warmest  wish  of  his  heart 
was  to  see  him  settled  in  a  happy  home  of  his  own. 

The  old  man  declared  his  intention  to  act  most  liber- 
ally by  the  young  pair,  and  boasted  a  little  of  the  wealth 
he  had  accumulated ;  though  he  could  not  look  Mr. 
Desmond  clearly  in  the  face  while  he  talked  of  money, 
and  knew  that  he  was  aware  of  what  means  had  once 
been  resorted  to  to  lift  him  out  of  his  difficulties  in 
business. 

"When  all  had  been  said  on  both  sides,  Mr.  Desmond 
ended  the  conference  by  emphatically  saying: 

"  I  have  heard  all  that  either  of  you  can  urge,  and  I 
have  tried  to  listen  with  patience ;  but  I  wish  you  both 
to  understand  that,  fallen  as  my  fortunes  are,  I  would 
sooner  see  my  daughter  wrestling  with  the  direst  poverty 
than  know  that  she  was  living  in  luxury  on  such  gains 
as  yours.  I  know  you  both ;  there  is  no  honor,  no 
truth  in  your  natures,  and  I  say  to  you,  Mr.  Spiers,  if 
this  pursuit  does  not  cease,  the  knowledge  I  hold  in  my 
possession,  of  one  act  of  your  life  that  can  forever  blight 
your  good  name,  shall  no  longer  be  withheld  from  the 
public.  I  will  spare  you,  if  I  can ;  but  if  your  son 
persists  in  the  suit  I  have  forbidden  you  must  take  the 
consequences." 

Spiers  cowered  a  moment  before  this  threat;  but  he 
recovered  himself,  and  insolently  said  : 

"  If  my  son  still  chooses  to  persist,  and  marry  your 
daughter  in  defiance  of  your  opposition,  I  fancy  you  will 
be  glad  enough  to  shield  the  name  she  will  bear  from 
the  gibes  of  the  world." 

"  In  that  event,  Clare  will  no  longer  be  recognized  as 


76       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE 

a  child  of  mine.  If  she  elects  to  wed  dishonor,  let  her 
bear  the  scornful  finger  pointed  at  her  as  she  best  can. 
I  have  said  all  that  I  came  here  to  say,  and  now  I  bid 
you  both  good-morning." 

The  old  man  shook  his  fist  at  the  retreating  form  of 
his  visitor,  and  said,  in  low,  concentrated  tones  of  in- 
tense wrath : 

"  Wait — wait  and  see  who  will  come  off  conqueror, 
Eeggy  Desmond.  When  your  dainty  darling  is  her- 
self accused  of  a  crime  of  far  deeper  dye  than  any  / 
have  been  guilty  of,  then  perhaps  you'll  lower  your 
proud  crest,  and  grovel  in  the  dust  at  my  feet.  You 
shall  believe  her  guilty — you  shall  drink  to  the  dregs  the 
cup  of  humiliation  you  have  forced  on  me  to-day." 

He  turned  to  his  son,  who  was  drumming  on  the 
window,  his  face  sullen  and  flushed,  but  with  the  air  of 
a  man  who  felt  himself  far  from  vanquished.  John 
curtly  said : 

"Why  should  we  care  for  his  threats?  They  can't 
mean  much ;  and  we'll  turn  on  him  so  sharply  presently, 
that  he'll  have  no  chance  to  harm  us.  I  will  see  the 
girl  in  spite  of  him ;  but  I  must  be  cautious  in  my 
movements  till  she  is  as  much  in  our  power  as  you  are 
in  his." 

"The  scornful  beggar!  who  has  let  all  his  chances  slip 
through  his  fingers !  I  will  bring  home  to  him  the  op- 
probrium he  threatens  to  cast  on  me.  He  shall  believe 
that  his  daughter  is  guilty,  and  gladly  give  her  to  you  as 
a  bribe  to  shield  her  reputed  crime  from  the  knowledge 
of  the  world.  Oh !  I'll  grind  him  to  powder  when  I 
once  have  my  heel  upon  him." 

"  There,  that  will  do !     Don't  get  into  a  tantrum,  and 


MRS.   ADAIR'S   LETTER.  77 

talk  so  loud  as  to  give  that  infernal  Beal  a  chance  to 
overhear  you.  We'll  pay  Desmond  back  when  the  odds 
are  in  our  favor,  and  that  is  all  that  is  to  be  said 
about  it." 

The  interview  had  taken  place  in  the  room  back  of  the 
shop,  and  Mr.  Spiers  suddenly  threw  the  door  of  com- 
munication open,  but  the  young  clerk  was  at  the  further 
end,  bending  down  over  a  package  he  was  making  up. 

"  He's  all  right,"  said  the  old  man,  in  a  low  tone. 
"  Beal's  a  good  fellow,  and  a  great  deal  more  useful  to 
me  than  you  are,  John." 

"  It's  his  business  to  be,"  was  the  gruff  reply.  "As  to 
myself,  I  have  something  better  to  do  than  pack  up 
nauseous  things  that  kill  as  often  as  they  cure." 

He  strode  out  of  the  shop,  and  the  old  man  muttered : 

"  It's  always  the  way.  He  leaves  the  burden  of  every- 
thing on  me  and  the  boy." 


CHAPTER    VI. 

MRS.  ADAIR'S  LETTER. 

YAINLY  did  Mrs.  Desmond  make  every  effort  to 
gain  the  entire  confidence  of  her  daughter.  Clare 
was  evidently  very  miserable,  and  she  left  those  around 
her  to  infer  that  their  opposition  to  her  engagement  to 
John  Spiers  was  the  cause  of  her  depression.  She  wept 
bitterly  when  her  mother  talked  with  her,  but  the  only 
reply  to  all  her  remonstrances  was : 

"I  must  be   true  to  my  plighted  word,  mamma.     I 


78       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

fancied  that  I  liked  Mr.  Spiers.  I  was  silly  enough  to 
let  him  talk  of  love  to  me  till — till  his  feelings  were  so 
deeply  enlisted  that  I  have  no  right  to  draw  back  now." 

"  But  your  own  feelings,  Clare  ?  How  do  they  stand 
affected  toward  this  young  man  ?  Oh,  my  darling,  pause 
on  the  brink  of  the  precipice  into  which  you  are  ready 
to  plunge.  How  can  you  persist  in  giving  yourself  to  a 
man  who  is  so  unworthy  of  you  ?" 

"  I  must,  mamma ; "  and  that  was  all  that  could  be 
gained  from  her. 

In  spite  of  the  precautions  taken  by  her  parents  to 
prevent  a  meeting,  Spiers  had  watched  around  the  house 
at  night,  and  spoken  to  Clare  through  the  open  window 
of  her  room. 

The  rest  of  the  family  were  in  the  parlor,  but  the  un- 
happy girl,  feeling  herself  in  disgrace  and  out  of  place 
among  them,  had  gone  early  to  her  chamber;  she  turned 
down  the  lamp  and  leaned  her  head  upon  the  window- 
sill,  feeling  utterly  deserted  and  forlorn. 

Suddenly  a  low  voice  spoke  softly  in  her  ear,  and  she 
started  up  as  if  she  had  received  an  electric  shock. 

"  You  here !  The  dog  will  alarm  the  house,  and — and 
papa  declares  that  he  will  do  something  dreadful,  if  he 
knows  that  you  have  sought  me  again." 

"  Have  no  fears  about  the  dog.  I  have  given  him  a 
dose  that  will  stupefy  him  for  a  few  hours,  though  it 
won't  harm  him  eventually.  I  have  come  to  say  to  you 
that  I  cannot  live  without  you;  to  ask  you  if  you  will 
be  true  to  me,  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  that  may  be 
made  to  estrange  you  from  me  ?  " 

"That  is  already  done — your  own  words  effected  it 
when  you  threatened  me.  It  is  only  through  fear  that  I 


MRS.    AD  AIR'S   LETTER.  79 

submit  to  talk  with  you  now.  If  I  dared,  I  would  call 
out  and  entreat  my  father  to  defend  me  from  you.  I  do 
not  love  you,  and  yet  I  am  forced  to  stand  in  a  false 
position  before  my  family — to  sacrifice  their  confidence 
and  affection,  because  I  dread  that  your  desperate  threats 
may  be  put  into  execution." 

"  You  may  M7ell  dread  it,"  he  hissed  through  his 
clenched  teeth.  "  I  spared  your  father  when  he  insulted 
mine  a  few  days  ago,  and  I  did  it  for  your  sake.  But  he 
shall  not  escape  me  when  you  cease  to  stand  as  a  barrier 
between  him  and  myself.  His  only  safety  lies  in  my 
passionate  love  for  you,  and  if  you  tell  me  again  that  you 
have  ceased  to  love  me,  I  will  have  no  mercy  on  him,  on 
you,  or  on  myself.  We  shall  all  go  down  to  Hades  to- 
gether, for  I  will  be  avenged  before  I  give  up  the  life 
that  will  be  a  burden  to  me  without  you." 

The  frightened  girl  imploringly  said  : 

"Will  you  have  no  pity  on  me?  Will  you  tear  me 
from  my  home,  my  loved  ones,  to  make  me  the  most 
miserable  of  human  beings?" 

"  What  am  I  to  infer  from  those  words  ?  That  it  is 
only  another  way  of  telling  me  that  you  were  only  trifling 
with  me  when  you  led  me  on,  till  to  win  you  became  the 
one  hope  of  my  life  ?  Beware !  I  am  desperate ;  and 
some  devil  is  whispering  to  me  now  to  make  you  mine  in 
death.  See  !  I  have  the  means  at  hand." 

He  drew  a  small  pistol  from  his  breast,  aM  held  it  in 
front  of  her  head,  and  the  unhappy  object  of  his  brutal 
violence  sunk  back  shuddering,  and  half  fainting.  She 
gasped : 

"  Don't— don't  kill  me !     I— I  am  afraid  of  death  !  " 

In  a  sardonic  tone,  Spiers  replied : 


80       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

"  I  dare  say ;  but  you  are  not  afraid  to  drive  a  man 
desperate,  and  make  life  a  curse  to  him.  If  I  shoot  you 
the  sound  of  the  pistol  will  bring  your  father  to  the  spot. 
I  can  put  an  end  to  him,  and  still  have  enough  left  to 
deprive  the  hangman  of  a  victim  by  destroying  myself. 
On  the  next  words  you  speak  depends  the  life  of  three 
people ;  so  be  careful  what  they  are." 

Clare  was  silent  for  a  moment,  for  words  would  not 
come  to  her  parched  and  trembling  lips.  Half  dazed 
with  terror  she  at  last  found  voice  to  say : 

"  I  am  in  your  power ;  I  have  brought  this  on  myself, 
and  I  must  bear  through  life  the  chains  you  have  put 
upon  me.  If  you  love  me,  as  you  would  have  me  be- 
lieve, I  may,  in  time,  learn  to  return  your  affection.  I 
must  try  to  do  so,  since  death  is  the  only  alternative." 

Spiers  put  up  his  pistol,  and  changing  his  manner 
suddenly,  said,  in  tender  tones : 

"  Pardon  me,  my  darling,  but  I  am  half  maddened  by 
the  opposition  I  have  met  with  in  consummating  the 
dearest  wish  of  my  heart — to  make  you  mine  forever. 
I  have  succeeded  in  overcoming  my  father's  objections, 
and  all  would  go  well  with  us,  if  your  parents  would  be 
reasonable.  Oh,  Clare,  your  influence  will  make  me  a 
good  and  true  man,  for  I  love  you  to  that  degree  that  I 
will  make  every  effort  to  come  up  to  your  standard  when 
we  are  once  united.  Speak,  my  own  love,  and  tell  me 
that  you  wM  strive  to  give  me  something  in  return  for 
the  wild  affection  I  bear  you." 

"  I  will  try,"  was  the  faint  response.  "  Go  now,  for  I 
hear  them  leaving  the  parlor,  and  Christine  will  be  here 
in  another  moment." 

Spiers  put  his  hand    through  the  low  window,  and 


MRS.    ADAIR'S   LETTER.  81 

grasped  hers,  though  she  would  gladly  have  withheld  it, 
if  possible. 

"  Give  me  one  kiss,"  he  said.  "  We  have  never  sealed 
our  betrothal,  and  I  have  the  right  to  ask  it  now." 

She  recoiled  from  him,  and  hurriedly  said : 

"  It  is  too  late ;  my  sister  is  at  the  door.  Go  now,  for 
God's  sake,  that  no  one  may  suspect  this  meeting." 

He  dropped  her  hand  with  a  scowl,  and  turned  away 
just  in  time  to  conceal  himself  behind  a  clump  of  tangled 
shrubbery  as  Mr.  Desmond  came  around  the  house  to 
take  a  survey  of  the  premises  before  retiring  for  the  night. 

He  missed  the  dog,  called  his  name,  and  whistled  for 
him  in  vain.  He  went  back,  muttering: 

"  I  trusted  Ponto,  and  even  he  is  not  faithful.  I 
wonder  if  that  wretched  girl  has  poisoned  him,  that  she 
may  have  the  chance  to  meet  her  lover  in  the  grounds. 
Yet  I  wrong  her — for  the  dog  would  follow  and  guard 
her,  and  be  silent  enough  if  she  spoke  to  him,  let  who 
M'ould  come  to  join  her.  The  creature  has  forsaken  his 
duty,  I  suppose,  and  gone  off  in  pursuit  of  game." 

He  presently  came  around  the  house  again  from  the 
opposite  direction,  but  the  intruder  had  effected  his 
escape  in  the  interval ;  and  the  next  morning  Ponto  was 
found,  as  usual,  lying  on  the  veranda  in  the  early  sun- 
shine, with  no  indication  about  him  that  he  had  been 
drugged  on  the  previous  night. 

The  interview  between  Spiers  and  Clare  ^ad  only 
deepened  her  horror  of  the  fate  she  had.  brought  on 
herself;  yet  she  could  see  no  way  of  escaping  from  it. 
She  believed  in  the  reality  of  his  simulated  passion,  and 
the  chain  that  was  tightening  around  her  she  felt  herself 
powerless  to  break.  If  she  had  thought  it  possible  that 
5 


82       A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN     A     FOBTUNE. 

an  appeal  to  her  father  would  at  once  release  her  from  all 
fears  on  his  account  and  her  own,  she  would  have  made 
it  without  delay.  But  in  her  romance  and  inexperience, 
she  firmly  believed  that  there  was  no  hope  for  any  of 
them,  save  in  the  sacrifice  of  herself  to  the  man  from 
whom  her  whole  soul  recoiled  with  unspeakable  repul- 
sion. Clare  did  not  sleep  that  night,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing morning  she  was  feverish,  and  too  ill  to  get  up. 
Mrs.  Desmond  sat  with  her,  and  gave  her  every  atten- 
tion. She  saw  that  the  poor  girl  was  more  depressed 
than  ever,  but  she  could  draw  nothing  from  her  save  the 
weary  plaint : 

"  I  shall  die,  mamma,  and  then  you  will  all  forgive 
me  for  what  I  have  made  you  suffer." 

"  You  must  not  talk  so,  my  child.  You  are  young 
and  strong,  and  there  is  not  much  the  matter  with  you." 

"  More  than  you  think ;  but  I  can  bear  it,  I  suppose, 
and  illustrate  the  poet's  words  about  the  heart  that 
brokenly  lives  on." 

"  I  fear  that  you  are  a  romantic  little  goose,  my  dear. 
If  you  do  your  duty  by  those  who  love  you  best,  there  is 
no  danger  that  they  will  allow  such  a  thing  as  heart- 
breaking misery  to  come  near  you." 

"  Oh,  you  don't  know — you  don't  know.  Papa  is  so 
hard  to  me.  He  has  threatened  to  cast  me  off,  and  he 
treats  me  as  if  I  am  already  thrust  out  of  his  heart." 

"My  Aild,  your  father  is  stern  because  he  cannot 
understand  you.  You  will  give  no  satisfactory  explana- 
tion of  what  has  passed  between  you  and  Mr.  Spiers,  and 
we  both  think  that  you  cannot  long  continue  to  love  such 
a  man,  even  if  he  has  been  able  to  cast  an  evil  spell  over 
you  for  a  season." 


MES.   ADAIE'S   LETTER.  83 

"That  is  it— an  evil  spell.  I  know  it;  I  feel  it;  but 
I  cannot  escape  from  it.  Oh  !  mother — mother — " 

What  she  might  have  been  tempted  to  say,  in  that 
moment  of  anguish,  was  interrupted  by  the  entrance  of 
Christine,  who  said : 

"  Papa  has  a  letter  he  wants  to  show  you,  ma,  and  he 
told  me  to  stay  with  sister  while  you  went  to  him." 

Mrs.  Desmond  arose,  and  stood  a  moment  by  the  sick 
girl's  side,  tenderly  smoothing  down  her  hair. 

"  I  will  come  back,  dear,  and  you  can  finish  what  you 
have  to  say  to  me.  You  know  that  you  can  trust  me 
entirely,  my  love." 

"Yes,  mamma,  I  know  that.  But  I  believe  that  I 
have  nothing  more  to  say." 

She  turned  her  face  to  the  wall,  and  with  a  sigh,  her 
mother  turned  away  and  said  to  Christine,  in  a  low  tone : 

"  Be  very  gentle  with  your  sister,  for  she  is  threatened 
with  a  low,  nervous  fever.  Don't  contradict  or  worry 
her  in  any  way." 

"  I  won't,  ma ;  but  I  think  you  and  pa  are  doing  that 
every  day  of  your  life,  and  that's  why  she's  sick.  I  can't 
see  why  she  shouldn't  be  allowed  to  marry  the  man,  if 
she  wants  him." 

Mrs.  Desmond  gave  the  speaker  a  look  that  silenced 
even  the  pert  tongue  of  Christine,  and  she  almost  sternly 
said : 

"Be  silent  on  what  you  do  not  understand.  Sit 
quietly  here  till  I  come  back;  I  shall  not  be  long  gone." 

Mrs.  Desmond  found  her  husband  on  the  veranda 
with  an  open  letter  in  his  hand,  which  seemed  to  have 
excited  and  agitated  him  much.  His  hand  trembled  as 
he  held  it  toward  her,  and  said : 


84       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"An  avenue  of  escape  is  opened  to  that  poor  child  for 
which  I  am  very  grateful,  though  a  month  ago  the  pro- 
posal to  give  her  up  to  any  one  would  have  filled  me 
with  exquisite  pain.  Now,  I  think  it  is  Providence  that 
has  interfered  in  her  favor." 

Mrs.  Desmond  glanced  rapidly  over  the  following 
lines,  more  surprised  at  their  tenor  than  even  her  hus- 
band had  been : 

"RiVERDALE,  June  22,  18 — . 

"MR.  DESMOND — Sir:  I  address  these  lines  to  you 
because  I  recognize  in  you  the  head  of  your  family,  and 
in  my  day  it  was  the  fashion  to  pay  respect  to  the  one  in 
authority,  even  if  what  was  to  be  said  most  concerned 
those  under  his  protection. 

"At  my  age  it  is  a  burden  to  write  long  letters,  so  I 
shall  try  to  be  as  brief  as  possible. 

"I  am  the  great-aunt  of  your  wife,  though  I  have 
never  seen  her,  and  for  a  very  good  reason.  The  mother 
displeased  me  by  the  marriage  she  made,  and  I  told  her 
that  she  and  hers  should  forever  remain  strangers  to  me. 

"  I  meant  it  when  I  said  it,  and  I  dare  say  I  should 
have  kept  my  word  if  my  granddaughter  had  not  died, 
and  left  me  without  kith  or  kin  in  the  world,  except 
Annette  Desmond  and  her  children. 

"I  have  made  inquiries  about  you,  and  I  hear  that 
you  are  a  poor  manager ;  that  you  have  frittered  away 
an  independence  in  the  hope  of  becoming  rich ;  always 
failing  in  your  efforts,  but  still  spending  as  if  there  was 
no  end  to  money. 

"  That  only  concerns  me  so  far  as  this :  if  you  are 
poor,  you  will  be  more  willing  to  give  up  to  me  your 
eldest  daughter  for  a  few  months,  with  the  understand- 


MRS.     AD  AIR'S     LETTER.  85 

ing  that,  if  she  pleases  me,  I  will  adopt  her,  and  make 
my  will  in  her  favor.  I  was  an  heiress  in  my  own  right, 
and  I  have  the  power  to  dispose  of  a  large  property.  If 
Clare  Desmond  is  as  charming  as  I  have  been  told,  I 
think  there  is  little  doubt  that  I  shall  select  her  as  my 
heiress. 

"As  I  do  not  think  it  fair  to  do  so  much  for  the 
daughter  and  nothing  for  the  mother,  I  shall  pay  to 
Mrs.  Desmond  an  annuity  of  a  thousand  dollars  a  year, 
and  that,  with  the  little  you  have,  will  enable  you  to 
live  at  least  in  comfort. 

"  I  enclose  a  check  for  eight  hundred  dollars,  half  of 
which  is  to  be  appropriated  to  Clare's  wardrobe.  I  wish 
her  to  be  elegantly  dressed,  and  nothing  of  inferior 
quality  purchased  for  her.  Of  course  her  mother  will 
know  what  is  necessary  to  a  young  girl's  outfit,  as  I  under- 
stand she  has  been  a  gay  woman  of  the  world  herself. 

"  I  assume  the  fact  that  you  will  gladly  avail  your- 
self of  this  offer,  and  three  weeks  from  this  time  I  shall 
send  my  manager,  a  thoroughly  respectable,  middle-aged 
man,  to  bring  Clare  to  Riverdale.  I  do  not  ask  you  or  her 
mother  to  come  with  her,  because  I  wish  to  see  and  judge 
of  the  child  myself  before  I  invite  you  to  come  to  me. 

"  You  will  not  be  long  separated  from  your  daughter, 
for  my  lease  of  life  cannot  endure  much  longer.  My 
health  is  delicate,  and  that  is  why  I  looked  about  me 
for  an  heiress  who  is  lovely  and  attractive  enough  to  be 
known  as  one  of  the  Graces  of  Riverdale.  The  women 
of  my  family  have  always  been  noted  for  their  beauty 
and  fascination,  and  if  all  that  is  told  of  your  daughter 
is  true,  she  will  be  worthy  to  wear  the  mantle  of  her 
predecessors.  Your  kinswoman, 

AD  AIR." 


86       A    NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

When  Mrs.  Desmond  finished  reading,  she  drew  a 
long  breath,  and  said: 

"  This  is  the  most  extraordinary  turn  of  fortune  !  I 
declare  it  almost  takes  my  breath  away  to  think  that  my 
magnificent  old  aunt  has  absolutely  made  overtures  to  us 
and  wants  to  take  Clare  for  her  heiress.  Of  course 
she'll  be  pleased  with  our  beauty,  for  she  is  as  hand- 
some as  any  of  the  Graces  that  have  gone  before  her. 
But  the  best  of  it  is,  that  we  shall  have  enough  to  live 
on,  without  worrying  about  where  the  next  supply  is 
to  come  from." 

"  Then  you  are  willing  to  give  your  daughter  up  ?  I 
feared  that  you  might  not  regard  this  as  I  do,  as  a 
special  interposition  of  Providence  to  remove  Clare  from 
the  vicinity  of  the  villain  who  has  obtained  so  strange 
an  influence  over  her." 

"  I  thought  of  that  from  the  first,  and  I  am  glad  that 
I  can  send  her  away  for  a  time.  We  shall  not  be  very 
long  separated  from  her ;  and  even  if  the  hope  of  seeing 
her  soon  had  not  been  held  out  to  us,  I  should  have 
thought  it  our  duty  to  accept  the  olive-branch  the  old 
lady  offers.  A  short  time  since,  it  would  have  been  very 
hard  to  part  from  Clare,  but  even  then  I  should  not  have 
felt  justified  in  refusing  this  chance  to  reinstate  our  for- 
tunes. I  don't  make  any  pretence  to  being  disinterested. 
We  need  money  badly,  and  I  am  most  thankful  to  aunt 
Adair  that  she  has  remembered  us  in  our  darkest  hour. 
She  has  been  sent  like  a  good  angel  to  rescue  us  from  the 
worst  perplexities  into  which  we  have  ever  fallen." 

"You  take  a  just  view  of  the  position,  my  dear,  and 
as  usual,  we  are  united  in  our  views.  Clare  has  seen 
nothing  of  society,  and  with  this  proud  old  dame,  she 


MBS.     AD  AIR'S     LETTER.  87 

will  soon  learn  to  be  ashamed  of  her  strange  predilection 
for  that  underbred  snob.  He  will  never  be  allowed  to 
approach  her  under  the  aristocratic  roof  of  Klverdale. 
The  old  lady  once  lived  almost  in  the  state  of  a  princess, 
though  I  suppose  she  has  given  much  of  that  up  since 
she  grew  old  and  infirm.  This  will  be  a  wonderful  thing 
for  Clare,  for  I  know  beforehand  that  it  is  certain  she 
must  make  a  favorable  impression  on  Mrs.  Adair." 

"  I  hope  so,  and  I  believe  she  will.  I  will  rouse  her 
up  with  this  intelligence,  and  I  hope  it  will  cure  her. 
Away  from  here,  she'll  soon  forget  all  about  that  odious 
man,  especially  as  I  am  going  to  get  her  a  beautiful 
wardrobe ;  a  thing  a  girl  of  her  age  is  apt  to  think  quite 
as  much  of  as  of  a  lover." 

"  That  reminds  me,  dear,  that  we  must  keep  to  our- 
selves the  news  of  her  good  luck.  It  will  not  do  to  let 
Spiers  know  that  she  is  going  away,  nor  where  she  will 
be  sent.  You  had  better  take  Clare  with  you  on  a  visit 
to  your  old  friends  in  Norfolk,  purchase  her  outfit,  and 
have  it  made  there.  She  will  have  to  take  the  steamer 
there,  at  any  rate,  and  I  shall  feel  comforted  in  thinking 
she  is  beyond  the  reach  of  that  presumptuous  villain." 

"But  how  can  you  bear  to  have  her  away  from  you 
for  the  last  few  weeks  she  may  ever  be  with  us  as  our 
own  especial  darling?" 

A  cloud  passed  over  Mr.  Desmond's  brow,  and  he 
curtly  said : 

"  She  can  never  be  that  to  me  again.  Her  silent  ob- 
stinacy has  disgusted  me.  I  take  a  warm  interest  in  her 
fate.  I  will  do  all  that  is  possible  to  save  her  from  the 
dark  future  she  is  so  willing  to  embrace  ;  but  that  is  all. 
I  could  give  her  up  to-day,  if  I  knew  her  to  be  ia  safe 


88       A     NEW     WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

hands.  I  should  not  sigh  over  the  separation,  because 
all  my  grief  would  be  for  the  ungrateful  child  who  has 
so  ill  repaid  our  care  and  affection." 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  you  are  very  hard  on  the  poor  child. 
She  suffers  deeply — I  can  see  that ;  and  some  day,  per- 
haps, you  will  feel  sorry  that  you  were  not  more  tender 
with  her." 

"  I  mete  out  to  her  less  suffering  than  she  has  meted  out 
to  me. 

" '  0 !  how  sharper  than  a  serpent's  tooth  it  is, 
To  have  a  thankless  child.' 

I  am  punished  rightly,  perhaps,  for  giving  Clare  a  higher 
place  in  my  regard  than  that  occupied  by  my  other  chil- 
dren. But  I  will  atone  to  them  for  the  injustice  I  have 
been  guilty  of." 

"  Well,  dear,  let  us  talk  of  the  dear  girl's  prospects, 
and  not  of  her  faults.  "Will  you  speak  with  her  before 
you  answer  my  aunt's  letter;  or  shall  I  do  it?" 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  speak  with  her  in  private  again," 
said  Mr.  Desmond,  coldly.  "  I  have  already  exhausted 
both  words  and  patience,  and  you,  at  any  rate,  will  be 
the  most  suitable  person  to  tell  her  of  the  great  piece  of 
good  fortune  that  has  come  to  her.  If  I  did  not  believe 
such  a  thing  to  be  impossible,  I  could  think  that  John 
Spiers  has  some  knowledge  of  what  was  impending,  or 
he  would  never  have  sought  Clare,  lovely  as  she  cer- 
tainly is." 

"  I  don't  suppose  that  he  ever  heard  of  Mrs.  Adair  in  his 
life,  or  if  he  has,  that  he  is  aware  of  my  relationship  to  her." 

"  I  suppose  not.  Go  now,  Nettie ;  and  come  back  to 
me  as  soon  as  possible,  to  let  me  know  what  she  says.  I 
must  reply  to  Mrs.  Adair  as  soon  as  possible." 


CLARE'S   SECRET    DISCOVERED.        89 
CHAPTER    VII. 

CHRISTINE   LEARNS    CLARE'S  SECRET. 

~TTT~HEN  Mrs.  Desmond  returned  to  the  chamber  of 

'  »  her  daughter,  she  found  that  Christine  had  given 
up  her  post  to  an  old  n egress  who  had  been  the  nurse  of 
her  children.  Dorothy,  looking  like  an  antique  image 
carved  in  ebony,  was  sitting  beside  the  bed,  dressed  in 
a  striped  cotton  gown,  with  a  turban  of  many  colors 
wound  around  her  head,  and  large  gold  hoops  hanging 
from  her  ears. 

"Yes — honey  chile,"  she  was  saying,  "dem  air  things 
is  mighty  strange,  but  it's  true  as  I'm  tellin'  you.  Take 
dat  charm  what  I  gin  you,  as  were  made  by  one  as 
understands  natur's  secrets,  an'  w'ar  it  over  yer  heart,  an' 
you'll  git  to  be  spry,  and  well  as  you  ever  was." 

"  Dear  Mammy,  if  you  can  give  me  one  that  will  make 
papa  love  me  again,  I  shall  be  as  happy  as  I  can  ever 
hope  to  be  now." 

"  Shoo,  chile ;  what  you  mean  by  talkin'  dat  air  way  ? 
Anybody,  to  hear  you,  would  think  you'd  never  git  out 
o'  de  dumps  no  mo'.  I  can't  do  what  you  axes,  caze 
there's  charms,  an'  charms,  an'  you'd  have  to  give  your 
pa  suffin'  wi'  your  own  ban's,  an'  git  him  to  take  it  un- 
beknownst, or  it  wouldn't  do  no  good." 

Mrs.  Desmond  had  paused  in  the  open  door-way,  but 
at  this  juncture  she  sharply  spoke: 

11  What  nonsense  is  this  you  are  putting  in  Clare's 
head,  Dolly  ?  Haven't  I  told  you,  again  and  again,  that 
I  would  not  have  my  children's  minds  filled  with  super- 


90       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOETUNE. 

stitious  notions?  Love-charms,  indeed  !  I  know  of  none 
that  can  be  effectual,  but  truth,  and  sweetness  of  nature. 
If  Clare  will  return  to  her  duty,  and  regard  the  wishes 
of  her  father,  he  will  not  be  likely  to  need  any  of  your 
drugs  to  make  him  love  her  as  well  as  ever." 

The  old  woman  shook  her  head,  and  said : 

"  I  knows  you  don't  b'lieve  in  'em,  Miss  Nettie,  but 
it's  true,  all  de  same.  I  knows  a  'oman  'mong  my  own 
people  what  makes  a  'coction  o'  yerbs  dat'll  make  any- 
body love  you,  if  you  pours  a  leetle  of  it  in  de  wine  or 
de  water  dey  drinks.  You  see,  I  knows,  caze  I  tried  it 
onct  myself." 

"  You  were  an  old  dunce  for  trying  it,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  the  wise  man  laughed  at  you  for  giving  him 
money  for  so  worthless  a  thing.  Go  away,  now ;  I  have 
something  to  say  to  Clare.  And  when  you  come  back 
to  sit  with  her,  I  forbid  you  to  speak  with  her  about 
such  absurd  trash  as  you  were  discussing  when  I  came 
in." 

The  old  woman  arose,  made  a  dignified  salaam,  and 
replied,  in  an  offended  tone : 

"  In  course  I'll  go.  You's  de  mistis,  an'  I'm  boun' 
to  'bey  yer  orders ;  but  I  knows  what  I  knows.  I'm 
ever  so  much  older'n  you,  Miss  Nettie,  an'  sperience  is 
wuth  more'n  book  larnin." 

"I  dare  say  you  undervalue  everything  you  don't 
know  yourself,"  said  Mrs.  Desmond,  laughing.  "  There 
— that  will  do ;  I  have  no  time  to  enter  into  a  discussion 
with  you  now.  I  have  something  particular  to  say  to 
Clare." 

Old  Dolly  swept  out  of  the  apartment  with  as  grand 
an  air  as  an  offended  duchess  might  have  assumed ;  but 


CLAEE'S   SECRET   DISCOVERED.        91 

her  curiosity  was  aroused  by  Mrs.  Desmond's  last  words, 
and  she  did  not  scruple  to  steal  around  the  house,  and 
listen  through  the  open  window  to  what  passed  between 
the  mother  and  daughter.  She  had  no  intention  of 
making  any  evil  use  of  the  knowledge  she  gained  in  this 
surreptitious  manner ;  but  she  had  a  vague  idea  that,  as 
an  old  and  trusted  retainer  of  the  family,  she  had  the 
right  to  know  all  that  concerned  them. 

Mrs.  Desmond  sat  down  beside  the  bed,  and  taking 
her  daughter's  hand  in  her  own,  asked  : 

"  Would  you  like  to  go  away  from  here  for  a  while, 
my  dear  ?  Don't  you  think  that  change  of  scene  would 
do  you  good  ?  " 

Clare  aroused  herself  from  the  apathetic  calm  in  which 
she  seemed  to  be  lying,  and  exclaimed  : 

"Oh,  if  that  were  possible,  mamma !  But  we  are  too 
poor,  and  I  have  nothing  suitable  to  wear  away  from 
home.  I  have  outgrown  all  my  nice  dresses,  and  you 
can't  afford  to  give  me  others." 

"  What  would  you  say,  my  love,  if  I  told  you  that  a 
golden  shower  has  suddenly  fallen  on  us  ?  that  we  can 
get  for  you  all  that  you  can  possibly  need  in  the  way  of 
dress?" 

At  this  Clare  sat  up  in  the  bed,  and  stared  at  her 
mother  as  if  uncertain  whether  she  was  in  her  right  mind. 
She  slowly  said : 

"  I  should  think  it  like  a  fairy  tale ;  but  it  can't  be 
true,  you  know,  ma.  Papa  never  buys  lottery  tickets, 
and  we  have  no  rich  relatives  that  I  ever  heard  of." 

"  Yes,  I  have  one  relative ;  a  great  aunt,  and  she  is 
very  rich.  We  have  held  no  intercourse  with  her,  and 
therefore  you  have  been  ignorant  of  her  existence.  Mrs. 


92       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOKTTJNE. 

Adair  has  lost  her  only  descendant,  a  granddaughter, 
and  she  has  written  to  your  father  to  ask  him  if  he  will 
allow  you  to  go  to  her  for  a  season ;  and  if  you  make  a 
favorable  impression  on  her,  she  will  adopt  you  and 
make  you  her  heiress." 

The  face  of  the  sick  girl  flushed,  her  eyes  sparkled, 
and  she  cried  out  in  irrepressible  excitement : 

"  Oh,  mamma,  this  is  a  godsend !  You  cannot  tell 
how  gladly  I  will  get  away  from  here  for  a  season. 
Beside?,  I  will  try  to  win  the  old  lady's  heart,  and  she 
will  give  me  the  means  to  help  you.  When  I  can  do 
that,  papa  will  not  think  me  such  a  renegade  to  my  own 
family." 

"  I  am  glad  that  you  are  so  willing  to  go,  my  dear. 
When  you  are  away  from  the  evil  influence  that  has 
lately  enthralled  you,  you  will  begin  to  see  how  right 
your  father  is  in  his  opposition  to  the  marriage  on  which 
you  seem  so  determined.  I  must  exact  one  promise  from 
you,  Clare,  and  that  is,  that  you  will  not  communicate 
with  Mr.  Spiers,  nor  give  him  any  clue  to  where  you  are 
to  be  found." 

After  a  brief  silence,  Clare  said : 

"  I  will  do  that,  mamma.  I  shall  be  glad  to  go  away, 
and  have  time  to  think  over  my  position ;  and — and 
perhaps — " 

She  paused  abruptly,  afraid  to  betray  the  secret  of  her 
incomprehensible  conduct.  She  shivered  slightly  as  she 
recalled  the  interview  of  the  preceding  night,  and  again 
became  so  pale  that  her  mother  was  alarmed.  She  sooth- 
ingly said : 

"Don't  excite  yourself,  dear.  Return  thanks  to  the 
Giver  of  all  good  for  the  unexpected  help  that  has  come 


c  LAKE'S   SECRET   DISCOVERED.        93 

to  us  in  our  darkest  hour,  and  ask  Him  to  help  you  to 
come  to  a  right  decision  on  the  momentous  subject  we 
have  lately  discussed  so  much." 

"Yes,  mamma;  I  will  pray  with  all  my  heart  and 
soul,  and  the  burden  of  my  prayer  shall  be :  Oh  God ! 
deliver  me  from  evil." 

Her  mother  kissed  her  tenderly,  and  said,  in  tones 
that  were  tremulous  in  spite  of  her  efforts  to  make  them 
cheerful : 

"  I  must  tell  you  one  thing  more  before  I  go,  Clare. 
My  aunt  has  offered  me  a  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  I 
do  not  hesitate  to  accept  it  from  her  abundance." 

"  I  shall  love  her  dearly  for  that,  and  when  she  sees 
that  I  am  attached  to  her,  Mrs.  Adair  will  return  my 
affection,  and  I  shall  be  sure  to  please  her.  Dearest 
mother,  I  promise  to  do  my  best  to  win  the  means  of 
lifting  you  again  to  the  sphere  to  which  you  were  born." 

"  Only  be  natural,  and  true  to  yourself,  my  daughter, 
and  the  old  lady  will  find  comfort  and  delight  in  your 
presence  beneath  her  roof.  You  must  get  well  now  as 
soon  as  possible,  that  you  may  go  with  me  to  Norfolk,  on 
a  visit  to  Mrs.  Ford.  My  aunt  has  sent  money  to  get 
you  a  handsome  outfit,  and  your  wardrobe  must  be  pre- 
pared in  the  next  three  weeks.  You  will  go  away  from 
us  at  that  time." 

"  But  to  come  back  again,  mamma.  I  am  only  going 
on  a  visit  now,  you  know." 

"  I  think  we  shall  be  invited  to  join  you  there,  after 
Mrs.  Adair  has  made  up  her  mind  as  to  her  intentions 
toward  you.  I  cannot  doubt  her  ultimate  decision, 
Clare,  for  you  are  sure  to  win  upon  her  affections.  Try 
to  sleep  now,  my  child,  and  if  you  are  able  to  sit  up  to- 


94      A    NEW    WAY    TO     WITS    A     FORTUNE. 

morrow,  we  may  go  to  Mrs.  Ford  the  next  day.  You 
shall  have  any  quantity  of  the  most  beautiful  things,  now 
that  I  have  the  means  of  buying  them." 

"  You  are  very  good  to  me,  and  I  don't  think  I  will 
quite  make  up  my  mind  to  die  yet,"  replied  Clare,  with 
a  faint  smile.  "  I  may  tell  Christine,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  but  she  must  not  let  any  one  know  where  you 
are  going." 

"  I  do  not  know  that  yet  myself.  I  forgot  to  ask  you 
where  my  good  fairy  lives." 

"  She  has  a  beautiful  place  on  James  river.  I  have 
seen  it  from  the  deck  of  a  steamer,  but  I  never  was  there. 
My  aunt  quarrelled  with  my  mother  when  she  married, 
and  they  never  met  again.  We  have  talked  enough 
now,  dear,  and  I  must  go  back  to  your  father.  He  will 
be  delighted  to  hear  that  you  are  willing  to  leave  the 
neighborhood  of  your  obnoxious  lover." 

As  she  went  out,  Clare  muttered  : 

"Obnoxious  indeed,  and  to  me  more  than  to  all.  Yet 
I  dare  not  speak  out,  and  attempt  to  deliver  myself  from 
his  thrall.  Oh  !  if  I  could  only  go  away  where  he  could 
never  find  me  again,  how  happy  I  should  be !  But  he 
will  track  me  out ;  I  know  he  will,  and — O  Lord,  help 
me,  help  me,  or  I  perish  !  " 

She  prayed  fervently,  and  gradually  calmness  came 
back  to  her,  and  with  it  sleep,  that  she  had  thought 
banished  from  her  restless  heart,  fell  upon  her  eyelids, 
and  wrapt  her  senses  in  sweet  oblivion.  In  the  mean- 
time Mrs.  Desmond  went  back  to  her  husband,  and 
repeated  to  him  what  had  passed  between  herself  and 
Clare. 

He  listened  with  earnest  interest,  and  then  asked : 


CLARE'S  SECRET   DISCOVERED.        95 

"  Did  she  hesitate  when  you  required  of  her  a  pledge 
not  to  reveal  to  Spiers  the  place  of  her  retreat  ?  " 

"She  did  pause,  as  if  thinking  over  what  she  had  best 
say ;  and  her  face  was  a  curious  study  to  me,  well  as  I 
have  known  and  understood  its  varying  expressions. 
As  well  as  I  could  read  it,  there  was  dread  of  some  in- 
explicable horror  if  she  evaded  him,  mingled  with  joy 
at  the  prospect  of  being  able  to  do  so.  I  may  have  mis- 
interpreted, but  that  was  the  impression  I  received." 

"I  believe  you  are  right,  and  that  wretch  has  threat- 
ened her  with  something  she  is  afraid  to  speak  of.  If 
she  could  only  be  made  to  feel  what  a  cowardly  poltroon 
he  is,  she  would  soon  know  that  his  threats  are  mere 
sounding  wind — that  he  would  never  dare  to  carry  one 
of  them  into  effect." 

"  Well,  dear,  we  will  get  Clare  away  from  his  vicinity, 
and  her  natural  good  sense  will  soon  show  her  that  John 
Spiers  is  no  match  for  her.  Had  you  not  better  write 
your  letter  now  to  my  aunt  ?  " 

"  I  will  begin  it  at  once."  And  he  sat  down  before 
his  desk  and  dashed  off  the  following  lines : 

"DESMONIA,  June  25th,  18—. 

"  MRS.  ADAIR — Dear  Madam :  Your  letter  took  both 
myself  and  my  wife  quite  by  surprise,  for  we  had  never 
thought  of  the  long  breach  between  the  families  being 
closed  by  yourself.  Of  course  from  us  no  overtures 
could  come,  lest  they  might  be  misinterpreted  by  you 
who  had  everything  to  give,  and  we  nothing  save  kindly 
regard  and  gratitude  for  such  aid  as  your  heart  has 
prompted  you  to  extend  to  us  in  our  misfortunes. 

"  I  admit  that  I  have  managed  badly,  but  I  was  not 


96       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

educated  for  a  business  man,  and  it  would  have  been 
better  if  I  had  invested  my  moderate  fortune  in  a  secure 
manner,  and  have  contented  myself  with  the  income 
derived  from  it. 

"  It  is  equally  true  that  we  have  spent  a  great  deal 
of  money,  and  have  but  little  left ;  but  I  could  not  bear 
to  deny  my  family  the  luxury  to  which  I  had  been 
accustomed  myself  from  my  infancy,  and  I  could  not 
look  forward  to  the  ruin  that  at  last  overtook  me. 

"  My  wife  and  I  jointly  thank  you  for  the  generous 
assistance  you  have  proffered,  and  we  accept  it  in  the 
same  spirit  in  which  it  is  tendered.  We  can  now  put 
our  place  under  cultivation  and  improve  the  land,  so 
that  in  a  few  years  we  hope  to  be  independent  of  ex- 
traneous aid. 

"  You  wish  our  eldest  daughter  to  visit  you,  that  you 
may  decide  as  to  whether  she  is  a  worthy  descendant  of 
the  Beauforts — a  race  once  so  distinguished  for  its  beau- 
tiful women  and  stately  men. 

"As  her  father,  I  am  naturally  partial  to  Clare,  but  I 
think  the  decision  of  others  would  also  be  that  she  is 
charming  enough  to  take  her  place  among  the  Riverdale 
Graces.  She  is  yet  very  young — barely  seventeen — and 
of  course  in  a  measure  unformed ;  but  I  could  intrust 
her  to  no  better  model  of  grace  and  refinement  than  the 
lady  once  known  as  the  beautiful  Georgina  Beaufort, 
and  later  in  life  as  the  unrivalled  leader  in  the  world  of 
fashion  in  which  her  triumphs  were  won." 

"  Blarney,"  said  his  wife,  who  was  leaning  over  his 
shoulder,  following  with  her  eyes  the  lines  as  they  were 
traced. 


CLARE'S    SECRET   DISCOVERED.        97 

"  Of  course.  I  am  an  Irishman,  and  a  smooth  tongue 
is  my  birthright.  Don't  interrupt  me,  Nettie.  I  am 
only  trying  to  make  the  way  smooth  for  our  daughter." 

"  Well,  go  on  with  your  flatteries,  then ;  for,  with  that 
object  in  view,  I  would  perform  the  kou-tou  to  the  dear 
old  dame  myself." 

"  In  conclusion,  I  have  only  to  say  that  we  intrust  to 
you,  madam,  a  treasure  so  precious  to  us  that,  poor  as 
we  are,  we  would  gladly  keep  her  if  it  were  not  so  much 
for  Clare's  benefit  in  every  way  that  we  give  her  up  to 
you.  I  fully  understand  that  she  goes  now  only  on  a 
visit  to  you;  but  let  your  judgment  of  her  be  what  it 
may,  we  earnestly  hope  that  this  opening  may  lead  to  a 
renewal  of  friendly  intercourse  between  yourself  and 
our  family. 

"With  feelings  of  grateful  respect,  I  am,  dear 
madam,  Yours,  to  command, 

"REGINALD  DESMOND." 

His  wife  again  glanced  over  what  he  had  written,  and 
laughingly  said : 

"  It  has  been  said  that  the  postscript  is  the  cream  of  a 
woman's  letter,  and  in  this  case  I  think  you  have  left  to 
me  the  main  thing  to  do — to  thank  Mrs.  Adair  for  her 
liberality  to  us." 

"Not  to  us,  but  to  you,  dear;  therefore  it  is  your 
place  to  speak  of  that.  See ;  I  have  left  room  at  the 
bottom  of  the  page." 

Mrs.  Desmond  sat  down  and  quickly  added  a  few 
gracefully  expressed  lines,  accepting  the  annuity  and 
asking  for  her  daughter  the  maternal  care  which  a  girl 


98       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

of  Clare's  age  needs  more  than  at  any  other  era  of 
her  life. 

In  the  meantime  Christine  had  returned  to  her  sister's 
apartment,  and,  after  a  keen  glance  at  her,  discon- 
tentedly said : 

"  Something  is  going  on,  and  nobody  will  tell  me  what. 
Pa  and  ma  are  shut  up  in  their  room  together,  talking 
mysteriously,  and  Mammy  Dol  looks  as  important  as  if 
she  had  found  out  something  wonderful.  What  is  it  all 
about  ?  Do  you  know,  Clare  ?  Now  that  I  look  at  you 
your  face  is  all  changed  since  I  went  out.  You've  lost 
that  dull,  weary  look  you  had  an  hour  ago,  and  I  declare 
you  seem  to  have  come  to  life  again !  What  on  earth 
has  happened  ?  Has  pa  given  his  consent  to — to — you 
know  what  ?  " 

"  No,  he  has  not ;  but  that  don't  matter  now.  Can 
you  keep  a  secret,  Chris.  ?  I've  got  something  to  tell 
you,  but  you  are  to  promise  not  to  tell." 

"  Of  course  I  can  keep  a  secret,"  replied  the  girl, 
drawing  herself  up  with  dignity.  "  I  am  no  chatterbox, 
and,  moreover,  I  don't  know  who  I  could  tell  it  to,  un- 
less I  made  a  confidant  of  Victor,  for  I  see  no  one  out 
of  my  own  family.  We  live  here  like  owls  in  a  wood, 
but  I  don't  complain ;  it's  great  fun  to  me  to  do  pretty 
much  as  I  please,  and  torment  poor  old  Cassar  till  I  can 
almost  see  his  wool  getting  grayer  every  day." 

"  Oh,  dear ;  you  talk  so  fast,  that  you  don't  even  give 
me  time  to  answer  your  questions.  But  you  will  not  be 
allowed  to  run  wild  much  longer.  Oh,  sister,  something 
wonderful  has  happened,  and  I  can  hardly  credit  our 
good  fortune  yet." 

Christine  stared  at  her  a  moment,  and  then  skipped 


CLARE'S    SECRET    DISCOVERED.       99 

and  danced  about  the  room  as  if  she  had  gone  wild. 
Clare  sat  up  in  the  bed  and  laughed,  and  the  younger 
girl  suddenly  assumed  an  air  of  preternatural  soberness, 
and  said : 

"  I  don't  know  why  I  am  making  a  fool  of  myself  be- 
fore I  know  what  I've  got  to  rejoice  over.  Have  we 
come  into  a  great  fortune?  Is  that  what  you  meant, 
Clare?" 

"  No — not  exactly  that ;  but  an  old  lady,  a  relation  I 
never  heard  of  till  to-day,  has  written  to  papa  and  in- 
vited me  to  go  on  a  visit  to  her.  And  oh  !  Christine,  she 
has  ever  so  much  money,  and  if  she  likes  me  she  will 
give  me  enough  of  it  to  make  us  all  rich.  You  know 
what  is  mine  would  be  for  all  of  us  to  enjoy." 

"  That  is  nice  as  far  as  it  goes,  Clare ;  but,  you  see, 
you  can  do  as  you  please  about  marrying  your  lover  when 
you  are  rich,  and  he  may  want  all  your  fortune  for  him- 
self. It  would  have  been  much  better  if  this  relation 
had  given  pa  something  to  help  him  out  of  his  diffi- 
culties." 

"  So  she  has  given  a  thousand  dollars  a  year  to  mam- 
ma, who  is  her  great  niece.  She  will  have  that,  whether 
I  please  Mrs.  Adair  or  not." 

"  That  is  good ;  mamma  can  carry  out  her  plans  about 
the  place,  and  Casar  says  if  it  was  properly  cultivated, 
and  ever  so  much  done  to  the  land,  it  would  bring  some- 
thing worth  having  every  year.  I  suppose  you  have 
brightened  up  so  much  because  you  think  you  can  have 
your  own  way  about  marrying  John  Spiers,  when  you 
have  got  a  fortune  ?  " 

Clare  impetuously  cried  out : 

"  Do  you  think  I  want  money  for  that  ?    I  am  going 


100    A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

away  where  he  can't  find  me,  and  that  is  better  to  me 
than  the  prospect  of  wealth.  I  wish  I  had  never  seen 
nor  heard  of  him,  for  he  has  become  the  torment  of  my 
life." 

Christine  stared  at  her  with  open-mouthed  astonish- 
ment, and  then  indignantly  said  : 

tfl  could  not  have  believed  you  so  fickle  and  worldly- 
minded,  Clare  Desmond.  Here  you  have  made  us  all 
miserable  for  days,  because  you  persisted  in  clinging  to 
that  man ;  and  now,  at  the  first  glimpse  of  good  fortune, 
you  are  ready  to  give  him  up.  /  don't  want  you  to 
marry  him,  but  if  you  hadn't  been  over  head  and  ears  in 
love  with  him  you  had  no  right  to  act  as  you  have 
done." 

"  Oh !  Chris.,  you  don't  understand ;  you  wouldn't 
judge  me  so  hard!  if  you  knew — if  I  dared  to  tell  you, 
or  any  one  else,  how  I  came  to  engage  myself  to  Mr. 
Spiers.  I'll  go  to  Mrs.  Adair,  and  he  must  not  find  out 
where  I  have  been  sent.  When  I  am  out  of  his  way  he 
Will  get  over  his  silly  infatuation  about  me." 

"  Then  you  really  don't  care  for  him  after  all ! " 

"  Come  close  to  me,  Chris.  If  I  tell  you  something, 
will  you  declare  to  me  that  you  will  never  reveal  it  to 
any  creature  ?  I  am  almost  afraid  to  breathe  it  even  to 
myself,  but  I've  kept  my  secret  till  my  heart  is  almost 
broke,  and  I  think  I  can  trust  you  with  it." 

"Ye-es,"  replied  Christine,  dubiously;  "it  will  be 
safer,  perhaps,  to  tell  me  than  any  one  else." 

Clare  did  not  heed,  in  her  excitement,  that  no  pledge 
of  secrecy  was  given,  and  she  vehemently  went  on : 

"  I  hate  John  Spiers — I  would  almost  as  soon  die  as 
marry  him ;  but  he  threatened  my  life  and  that  of  papa ; 


CLARE'S   SECRET   DISCOVERED.      101 

he  accused  me  of  trifling  with  him,  and  went  on  so  madly 
that  I  was  frightened,  and  promised  all  he  demanded. 
I  have  made  you  all  miserable,  and  fretted  myself  sick, 
because  I  dared  not  tell  the  truth." 

The  younger  sister  listened  in  silent  amazement,  and 
after  a  pause,  she  said  : 

"  I  think  you  should  have  told  papa.  He  is  the  one 
to  protect  you,  and  I  hardly  think  lie  would  be  afraid  of 
a  coward  who  could  be  so  mean  as  to  threaten  a  young 
girl  like  you.  If  he's  mad,  he  can  be  put  in  the  lunatic 
asylum ;  if  he  isn't,  papa  can  have  him.  bound  over  to 
keep  the  peace." 

"  What  a  practical  child  you  are !  I  never  thought 
of  either  of  those  alternatives." 

"Because  you  thought  Mr.  Spiers  so  much  in  love 
with  you  that  he  must  be  considered,  and  you  were  ready 
to  sacrifice  yourself  before  you  would  expose  him  to  the 
punishment  he  deserves  for  treating  you  so  badly.  You 
are  very  romantic,  sister,  and  you  were  going  to  do  what 
you  knew  was  wrong,  because  a  blustering  man  scared 
your  poor  little  life  nearly  out  of  you.  He  would  never 
have  dared  to  hurt  you ;  and  as  for  pa,  I  think  he  can 
take  care  of  himself,  and  you  too." 

"  You  would  not  think  that,  Christine,  if  you  had 
heard  and  seen  him.  Oh  !  he  is  a  terrible  man,  and  my 
only  safety  is  in  getting  away  from  him,  and  hiding  my- 
self where  he  cannot  find  me." 

"But,  Clare,  papa  ought  to  know  about  this,  that  he 
may  be  on  his  guard  against  that  man.  If  he  is  such  a 
firebrand,  he  may  attempt  something  dreadful  when  he 
finds  out  you  are  sent  away.  Let  me  tell  pa  what  you 
have  said  to  me ;  indeed,  I  think  it  the  only  safe  way." 


102      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

Clare  was  startled  at  this  proposal ;  but  after  a  long 
and  earnest  consultation,  the  clearer  judgment  of  the 
younger  sister  prevailed,  and  Christine  was  permitted 
to  inform  their  father  of  what  she  had  learned. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE  LOVE-CHARM. 

/CHRISTINE  went  in  search  of  her  father,  full  of 
V^  the  important  revelation  she  had  to  make.  She 
found  him  alone,  for  Mrs.  Desmond  had  gone  out  to 
attend  to  some  domestic  affairs,  and  he  was  sitting  in  the 
veranda  in  much  better  spirits  than  on  that  first  evening 
on  which  we  found  him  there  glooming  over  his  losses, 
and  giving  up  all  hope  of  better  days. 

When  his  younger  daughter  nestled  to  his  feet  on  a 
low  foot-stool  she  had  brought  out  with  her,  he  smiled 
down  on  her,  and  said : 

"  I  have  something  to  tell  you,  my  busy  bee — some- 
thing that  I  think  will  make  you  happy,  though  you 
Avill  have  to  give  up  your  sister  for  a  while." 

"  I  have  heard  about  Mrs.  Adair  and  the  money  she 
is  going  to  give  mamma,  and  I  am  very  glad.  But  I 
have  something  more  important  than  even  that  to  tell 
you,  papa.  I  have  found  out  what  has  lately  made  Clare 
seem  so  naughty  and  self-willed  ;  when  you  know  about 
it,  you  will  be  sorry  that  you  were  angry  with  her,  and 
you  will  love  her  more  dearly  than  ever.  But,  dear 
father,  don't  love  her  so  much  more  than  me.  I  want 


THE     LOVE -CHARM.  103 

to  make  peace  between  you,  but  I  want  my  place  in  your 
heart  as  high  as  hers." 

Mr.  Desmond  was  so  much  surprised  both  by  the  be- 
ginning and  the  end  of  this  speech,  that  he  listened  with- 
out interruption.  After  a  brief  pause  to  overcome  his 
emotion,  he  raised  the  speaker  from  her  lowly  seat,  and 
placing  her  upon  his  knee,  said  : 

"  If  I  ever  wronged  you  so  far  as  to  give  you  a  lower 
place  in  my  affections  than  that  claimed  by  your  sister,  I 
promise  to  atone  for  it  in  the  future,  my  child.  Clare  is 
going  from  us,  and  you  are  to  be  the  light  and  joy  of  the 
house.  Kiss  me,  my  dear,  and  then  tell  me  the  mission 
on  which  you  have  been  sent.  I  suppose  our  rebel  has 
repented,  and  wishes  to  make  peace  at  last  on  my  own 
terms." 

Christine  kissed  him  more  than  once,  and  then  said  : 

"  Dear  father,  do  not  think  or  feel  hardly  towai'd  my 
poor  sister,  for  she  has  suffered  even  more  than  you, 
and  she  has  consented  at  last  that  I  shall  tell  you  all 
about  it." 

She  then  went  on  to  relate  what  had  passed  that  even- 
ing between  herself  and  Clare,  and  at  the  close  of  her 
narrative,  Mr.  Desmond  said : 

"  I  really  thought  that  Clare  had  more  strength  of 
character  than  to  be  frightened  into  withholding  from 
my  knowledge  the  empty  threats  of  such  a  creature  as 
she  has  had  to  deal  with.  Her  own  sense  should  have 
told  her  that  I  was  the  proper  person  to  consult,  when 
she  fell  into  difficulties  of  any  kind.  She  would  have 
saved  both  her  and  myself  a  great  deal  of  suffering,  if 
she  had  confided  in  me  from  the  first.  As  to  Spiers 
shooting  himself  or  any  one  else,  it  is  all  bosh.  I  could 


104       A    NEW    WAY     TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

laugh  at  the  whole  thing,  if  it  had  not  been  the  cause  of 
such  unhappiness  to  your  mother  and  myself." 

"  It's  all  over  now,  papa,  and  you'll  go  to  my  sister 
and  give  her  some  comfort.  She  is  still  very  much 
afraid  of  Mr.  Spiers,  and  I  only  got  her  consent  to  tell 
you,  because  J  thought  you  had  better  be  on  your  guard, 
if  he  did  make  any  attempt  to  attack  you  when  Clare  is 
sent  out  of  his  reach." 

"  That  was  a  shrewd  thought,  Christine,  and  one  that 
ought  to  have  occurred  to  your  sister.  I  will  go  to  her 
and  set  her  heart  at  rest  about  that  blustering  bully ;  but 
it  is  hard  for  me  to  forgive  her  for  being  so  silly.  For 
the  last  ten  days  she  has  kept  me  in  a  state  of  irritation 
and  worry  that  has  made  me  feel  a  dozen  years  older ; 
and  all  might  have  been  avoided,  if  she  had  not  been  a 
romantic  little  goose,  who  thought  the  man  threatened 
her  life  because  he  adored  her.  Pretty  adoration  that, 
truly  ! " 

"  Dear  papa,  she  has  suffered  more  than  you  think. 
She  has  fretted  herself  into  a  fever,  and  you  must  be 
good  to  her,  if  you  want  her  to  get  well  again  soon.  I 
hope  you  will  be  gentle  with  her." 

"  Of  course  I  will,  my  clear.  She  is  sick  and  suffer- 
ing; and  when  I  look  at  her,  I  can  forgive  even  more 
than  she  has  done  to  annoy  me.  Wait  here ;  and  when 
your  mother  comes  in,  repeat  to  her  what  you  have  told 
me,  that  she  may  be  prepared  to  talk  it  over  with  me. 
I  will  go  to  Clare  now." 

When  he  entered  his  daughter's  room,  he  found  her 
lying  with  closed  eyes,  her  hands  clasped  over  her  heart, 
to  still  in  some  measure  its  tumultuous  beating;  for 
Clare  feared  nearly  as  much  as  she  loved  her  father,  and 


THE    LOVE-CHARM.  105 

she  intuitively  knew  that  he  would  be  displeased  at  the 
reticence  she  had  practised,  when  so  much  for  herself 
was  at  stake. 

Mr.  Desmond  looked  down  on  her  in  the  gathering 
twilight,  and  his  heart  softened  toward  her.  He  stooped 
and  imprinted  a  light  kiss  upon  her  brow. 

"  My  poor  darling  !  "  he  softly  said  j  "  you  have  hurt 
my  heart,  but  I  forgive  you." 

The  next  moment  Clare  sprung  up,  and  threw  herself 
sobbing  upon  his  breast. 

"Dearest  papa,  can  you — can  you  free  me  from,  the 
persecutions  of  that  dreadful  man  ?  He  was  here  last 
night ;  he  spoke  to  me  through  that  window,  and  held 
his  pistol  close  to  my  head.  I  am  not  delirious — I  am 
telling  you  the  simple  truth ;  and  he  made  me  promise 
again  to  marry  him.  But  for  my  fear  that  he  would  do 
something  dreadful  if  I  betrayed  him,  I  would  never 
have  kept  all  this  from  you." 

Desmond  trembled  with  sudden  fury. 

"  What ! "  he  exclaimed  j  "  has  that  villain  dared  to 
penetrate  to  the  very  roof  that  shelters  you  ?  dared  to 
repeat  his  dastardly  threats,  after  what  I  said  to  him  and 
his  father  but  the  other  day  ?  This  passes  all  endurance, 
and  I  will  no  longer  forbear  with  them." 

Clare  clung  to  him  with  all  her  feeble  strength. 

"  Dearest  father,  do  nothing  rash,  I  entreat.  I  have 
so  horrible  a  dread  of  anything  happening  to  you,  and 
on  my  account,  I  could  never  forgive  myself — never ! " 

She  was  trembling  and  half  fainting,  and  her  father 
laid  her  back  on  her  pillows,  and  controlling  himself  for 
her  sake,  gently  said  : 

"  Do  not  get  excited,  my  love,  for  there  is  really  no 


106      A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

cause  for  alarm.  I  have  not  the  slightest  fear  of  any- 
thing happening  to  me  through  the  agency  of  Spiers. 
He  is  but  a  pitiful  cur,  whose  barking  might  frighten  a 
poor  little  dove  like  you,  but  to  me  it  could  have  no 
meaning.  He  will  not  dare  to  attack  me  either  openly 
or  in  secret ;  but  I  shall  take  such  measures  to-morrow 
as  will  point  him  out  as  my  enemy,  should  he  attempt  to 
injure  me  in  an  underhand  manner.  Believe  me,  Clare, 
when  I  assure  you  that  Spiers  has  too  great  a  value  for 
his  own  safety  to  risk  it  by  doing  any  of  the  things  with 
which  he  has  threatened  you." 

Clare  drew  a  long  breath  of  relief. 

"  I  wish  I  had  told  you  at  first.  But  I  had  not  the 
courage.  Are  you  quite  sure  that  there  will  be  no 
danger  to  you,  papa?" 

"  As  sure  as  I  am  that  I  am  now  speaking  with  you. 
!Nb  wonder  that  your  nerves  are  shattered,  when  the 
wretch  drew  his  pistol  on  you,  and  made  you  believe 
that  he  would  immolate  you  on  the  altar  of  his  pre- 
tended passion.  If  he  really  loved  you,  he  could  never 
have  treated  you  so,  and  I  should  be  safe  in  wagering 
that  the  pistol  was  not  loaded.  Such  a  coward  as  he  is 
would  be  afraid  to  carry  loaded  weapons  on  his  person, 
lest  they  might  explode  and  do  himself  an  injury." 

Clara  smiled  faintly. 

"  Dear  papa,  it  is  such  a  comfort  to  me  to  hear  you 
speak  so.  But  he  seemed  terribly  in  earnest." 

"  He  appeared  so  to  you,  but  he  was  only  acting.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  a  Thespian  corps,  and  in  that 
school  he  has  learned  how  to  tear  passion  to  tatters." 

"But  he  must  really  love  me,  papa,  for  I  have  no 
fortune  to  tempt  him  to  pursue  me  in  this  way." 


THE     LOVE-CHARM.  107 

"That  is  the  puzzle  to  me;  for  I  believe  both  him 
and  his  father  to  be  thoroughly  mercenary.  Can  it  be 
that  he  has  learned  the  intention  of  Mrs.  Adair  to  make 
overtures  of  reconciliation  to  us,  and  place  you  in  the 
position  of  her  prospective  heiress  ?  Such  a  thing  seems 
impossible;  yet  it  is  the  only  solution  I  can  give  to  his 
conduct  in  forcing  you,  against  your  will,  to  pledge  your 
word  to  give  him  your  hand." 

"  If  I  thought  that,  I  would  make  no  effort  to  please 
my  aunt.  I  would  entreat  her  to  take  Christine  in  my 
place,"  said  Clare,  vehemently.  "  But  it  is  impossible 
for  him  to  know  anything  about  her,  papa,  quite  impos- 
sible, for  we  have  never  spoken  of  her  to  any  one  as  a 
relation  of  ours." 

"  I  hope  you  are  right,"  replied  her  father,  thought- 
fully, "  for  he  might  follow  you  up  and  annoy  you  again, 
if  he  had  any  clue  to  whither  you  had  been  sent.  If  he 
should  do  so,  Clare,  speak  to  Mrs.  Adair  at  once,  and 
tell  her  the  whole  story.  "Write  to  me  immediately  and 
I  will  come  to  your  assistance  without  delay." 

"  I  will  certainly  confide  in  you  from  this  time  for- 
ward, father,  for  now  I  understand  how  strong  and 
self-sustained  you  are.  I  have  been  in  deadly  terror 
since  that  evening  you  came  to  meet  me  on  my  return 
from  town,  and  I  now  see  how  silly  I  was  not  to  tell 
you  all  at  once,  and  allow  you  to  defend  me  from  my 
persecutor." 

"  I  cannot  understand,  Clare,  how  you  came  to  encour- 
age the  attentions  of  such  a  man  as  John  Spiers.  To 
coarse,  commonplace  girls,  his  corsair-like  beauty  might 
be  attractive,  but  not  to  a  flower-like  creature  such  as 
you.  I  should  think  that  every  instinct  in  your  nature 
would  recoil  from  him." 


108        A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

Her  pale  face  flushed,  tears  came  into  her  eyes,  and  in 
a  low  voice  she  said : 

"You  are  right  in  that,  papa;  I  did  shrink  from 
his  bold  advances  at  first;  but  he  talks  well  and  is 
amusing.  Half  the  girls  I  gave  lessons  to  were  in  love 
with  him,  or  at  least  they  thought  so,  and  I  heard  him 
spoken  of  as  a  sort  of  demi-god.  They  told  all  sorts 
of  romantic  stories  about  his  adventures  when  he  was 
roving  about  the  world,  and  somehow  I  got  the  idea  in 
my  head  that  it  would  be  a  distinction  to  captivate  him. 
I  knew  that  I  could  do  it,  because  he  had  almost  forced 
his  acquaintance  on  me,  and  made  pretty  speeches  to  me 
from  the  first.  It  was  foolish  vanity  that  misled  me, 
and  now  I  am  punished  for  it." 

"  "Well,  dear,  I  hope  this  will  be  a  lesson  to  you  never 
to  attempt  to  flirt  again.  Have  no  fears  with  reference 
to  your  bold  wooer,  for  I  am  as  safe  from  him  as  if  I 
had  as  many  lives  as  a  cat.  I  will  promise  to  do  him 
no  physical  harm  either,  for  your  name  shall  not  be 
brought  before  the  public  in  this  affair.  Quiet  yourself 
now,  and  try  to  sleep,  that  you  may  be  well  enough  to- 
morrow to  help  your  mother  prepare  for  your  flitting.  I 
wish,  for  several  reasons,  to  get  you  away  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible." 

"Yes,  it  is  best  for  me  to  go;  if  I  stayed  here,  I  should 
be  in  a  state  of  nervous  dread  all  the  time,  and  I  hardly 
think  Mr.  Spiers  can  know  whither  I  am  going,  or  be 
aware  of  the  change  in  our  prospects.  Oh,  papa,  I 
must  win  my  aunt's  love,  that  I  may  hereafter  have  the 
power  to  assist  you  to  regain  the  proud  position  you 
once  held." 

"Of  course  I  expect  you  to  make  every  reasonable 


THE     LOVE-CHARM.  109 

effort  to  please  Mrs.  Adair;  but  you  must  not  be  too 
eager  to  recommend  yourself  to  her  good  graces.  Old 
people  are  apt  to  be  suspicious,  and  she  might  doubt 
your  sincerity  if  you  were  too  demonstrative.  Only  act 
out  your  own  natural  character,  my  daughter,  and  there 
is  little  to  fear  as  to  the  result." 

"  It  will  be  a  difficult  ordeal  to  pass  through,"  said 
Clare,  with  a  sigh ;  "  but  I  promise  to  do  my  best.  After 
all,  if  she  does  not  take  a  fancy  to  me,  my  sister  can  take 
my  place,  I  suppose ;  but  /  should  like  to  be  the  one  to 
bring  prosperity  to  you  again,  my  dearest  father." 

Mr.  Desmond  stooped  forward  and  kissed  her  ten- 
derly. 

"I  have  no  doubt  you  will  be  the  favored  one,  Clare; 
and  now  good-night.  Compose  your  spirits,  and  dismiss 
from  your  mind  the  phantoms  that  have  lately  haunted 
you.  I  will  send  Dolly  to  sit  with  you  till  your  sister 
is  ready  to  retire.  You  must  not  be  left  alone  in  this 
room  again,  lest  that  villain  should  repeat  his  intru- 
sion." 

"  Thank  you,  papa,  and  good-night.  I  think  I  shall 
be  able  to  sleep  to-night." 

In  a  few  moments  Dolly  came  in,  and  took  her  seat 
by  the  head  of  the  bed.  Clare  lay  silent  a  long  time,  but 
the  fidgeting  of  the  old  nurse  at  length  aroused  her  from 
her  reverie,  and  she  said  : 

"  You  must  be  as  nervous  as  I  am,  Mammy.  What 
makes  you  so  uncommonly  restless  this  evening?" 

"  'Pears  to  me  I  is  shaky  a  bit,  an'  it's  caze  I've  did  a 
mighty  mean  thing.  I  knowed  it  were  mean  when  I 
done  it,  but  somehow  I  couldn't  help  myself.  Ha'n't  I 
got  de  right  to  know  all  'bout  de  fam'ly  'fa'rs,  missy? 


110       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

An'  would  you  keer  ef  I  tole  you  what  I've  found  out 
formyse'f?" 

"  Tell  me  what  you  have  learned,"  said  Clare,  uncon- 
scious of  the  sharp  ring  in  her  voice,  for  she  knew  at 
once  that  the  woman  had  listened  to  something  that  had 
passed  in  her  apartment. 

"  Thar !  I  knowed  it !  You's  mad  at  me,  caze  I 
wanted  to  find  out  what  yer  mar  had  to  say  to  you  when 
she  sent  me  out.  I  dunno  why  you  would  be,  though, 
when  it  was  sich  good  news  to  you ;  an'  you  know  dat 
nobody'd  be  gladder'n  I  be  to  know  dat  de  rich  old  aunt 
have  come  round,  an'  wants  to  give  you  all  her  money." 

"  Is  that  all  you  heard,  Mammy  Dol  ?  If  it  was,  I 
don't  care  about  your  eavesdropping." 

"And  a'nt  dat  nuff,  honey  chile  ?  I  didn't  keer  for 
no  mor'n  dat,  no  how.  I  knows  'bout  Miss  'Dair,  an 
she's  got  heaps  an'  heaps  o'  money.  Ef  she  on'y  takes  a 
shine  to  you,  you'll  be  as  rich  as  cream.  Hi !  de  ole 
times  is  comin'  back,  an'  you'll  have  as  many  lovyers 
ridin'  arter  you  as  dat  ole  Crishus  had  in  her  day." 

"I  suppose  you  mean  Croesus,  Mammy.  How  did 
you  come  to  know  anything  of  Mrs.  Adair  ?  Since  you 
do,  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  about  her." 

"  How  I  come  to  know  her  is  easily  splained,  Miss 
Clare.  I  b'longed  to  her  father  onct,  and  stayed  on  de 
ole  plantation  whar  you're  gwiiie  till  I  were  twelve  year 
old.  Miss  Georgie  Beaufort  was  a  grand  young  lady  in 
dem  days.  She  were  de  greatest  belle  in  de  State  of  ole 
Varginny,  an'  she  held  her  head  high,  I  tell  you.  Yer 
gran'ma  was  lef  a  orfin,  an'  ole  Colonel  Beaufort  had 
her  brought  to  de  ole  place ;  an'  when  he  died,  he  lef 
her  on'y  one-third  of  his  fortin,  though  she  were  all  de 


THE     LOVE-CHARM.  Ill 

chile  his  on'y  son  lef.  All  de  res'  went  to  Miss  Georgie, 
or  rather  Miss  'Dair,  as  she  were  den." 

She  paused,  and  Clare  impatiently  said  : 

"  Go  on.  I  will  forgive  you  for  listening  if  you  will 
tell  me  all  about  this  family  history." 

"  Well,  yer  gran'ma  growed  up  at  Riverdale.  She 
had  a  teacher  in  de  house,  a  grumpy  ole  man  enough  he 
were,  but  she  wanted  to  study  some  furrin  lingo  what 
Mr.  Tracy  couldn't  learn  her,  an'  a  fine-lookin'  young 
feller  named  De  Courcy  came  to  de  neighborhood,  an' 
Miss  Georgie  paid  him  to  come  thar  an'  give  her  niece 
lessons. 

"  The  upshot  o'  de  matter  were,  dat  de  lingo  teacher 
an'  Miss  Clara  ran  away  together  an'  got  married.  I 
b'longed  to  her,  an'  so  did  ole  Csesar  an'  ole  Kary, 
though  we  was  all  chaps  den.  Miss  Clara  got  her  share 
of  her  grandfather's  estate,  or  at  least  what  he  chose  to 
leave  her,  but  her  aunt  never  would  see"  her,  or  speak  to 
her  ag'in.  Dat's  why  you  never  hearn  tell  o'  dis  rich 
ole  'oman  what  has  a  good  deal  dat  ought  to  belong  to 
yer  mar.  I  s'pose  her  conscience  begins  to  prick  her, 
now  dat  she's  comiu'  so  near  de  everlastin'  gates,  an'  she's 
got  nobody  else  to  give  her  money  to  eyther.  She  never 
had  but  one  chile,  an'  he  was  a  wild  sort  o'  man,  an'  got 
killed  in  a  quarrel.  She  took  de  chile  he  lef,  and  eddi- 
cated  her,  but  she  were  never  very  fond  o'  her,  bekase  de 
proud  ole  lady  didn't  think  her  gran'darter  fit  to  hole  a 
caudle  to  de  beautiful  Beaufort  women  whose  picters 
hangs  in  de  ole  house.  You'll  see  'em  all,  an'  I  on'y 
hopes  she'll  think  you  looks  like  some  on  'em." 

"  Thank  you,  Mammy ;  but  how  did  you  find  out 
anything  about  Mrs.  Adair  and  her  grandchild  ?  The 


112    A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOKTUNE. 

name  even  has  never  been  alluded  to  in  our  house  that  I 
know  of,  till  her  letter  came  inviting  me  to  visit  her." 

"  When  we  lived  in  Norfolk,  I  saw  some  o'  de  people 
from  de  plantation  at  odd  times.  I  had  a  aunt  an'  some 
cousins  livin'  thar,  an'  I  knowed  'bout  her  all  de  time ; 
but  my  ole  marster,  Mr.  De  Courcy,  wouldn't  'low  her 
name  to  be  spoke  \vhar  he  were.  You  see,  Miss  Georgie 
treated  him  as  ef  he  were  no  better'n  de  dirt  under  her 
feet,  an'  in  course  he'd  no  love  for  her.  Yer  mar  growed 
up  'thout  even  hearin'  her  name,  an'  she'd  hardly  ha' 
knowed  dat  sich  a  pusson  were  in  de  worl'  ef  I  hadn't 
p'inted  out  de  place  to  her  when  we  was  on  a  steam-boat 
onct,  an'  tole  her  dat  her  great  aunt  lived  thar,  an'  she 
had  a  right  to  good  pickin's  out  o'  de  fortin'  Miss  'Dair 
held  on  to." 

"Of  course,  mamma  knew  better  than  that,  for  her 
grandfather  had  the  right  to  leave  his  property  as  he 
pleased.  I  am  going  to  Mrs.  Adair,  but  I  shall  not  do 
so  with  the  idea  that  we  have  been  wronged  in  any  way 
by  her.  I  think  she  wishes  to  do  what  is  right  by  us, 
and  that  is  why  she  has  sent  for  me.  I  shall  do  my  very 
best  to  make  a  good  impression  on  her,  Mammy." 

The  old  woman  lowered  her  voice,  and  mysteriously 
said  : 

"  Thar  an't  but  one  way  to  make  dat  sure,  Missy.  / 
knows  how  it  kin  be  done,  but  yer  mar  is  so  obstinated 
she  thinks  she  knows  more'n  I  do,  though  I'm  old  nuff 
to  be  her  mother.  You  jes'  take  ray  'vice,  my  lamb,  an' 
you'll  be  able  to  twis'  dat  hard  ole  'oman  roun'  your 
finger  in  no  time." 

"  Explain  how  that  is  to  be  done,"  said  Clare,  laugh- 
ing, though  she  had  far  more  faith  in  the  superstitions 


THE     LOVE-CHARM.  113 

of  old  Dolly  than  she  would  have  been  willing  to  admit. 
"  The  days  of  miracles  are  past,  you  know,  Mammy." 

"  De  mir'cles  de  Saviour  did  an't  gwine  to  be  did 
ag'in,  I  know,  caze,  you  see,  he  were  God's  Son,  an'  he 
gin  him  more  spiritool  power  den  folks  has  in  our  days. 
But  'rnong  my  people,  dere's  men,  an'  women  too,  what 
makes  charms  what  never  fails.  I  know,  caze  I've  tried 
'em.  I  fell  in  love  \vi'  my  second  husbin',  an'  he  were 
thinkin'  'bout  another  gal.  I  went  to  a  wise  'oman,  an' 
she  gin  me  a  bottle  o'  truck  what  had  been  made  out  o' 
sutten  yerbs  gathered  when  de  moon  was  in  de  fust 
quarter,  an'  de  bilin'  was  did  when  de  moon  was  full ; 
den  de  wise  'oman  'peated  what  she  called  a  spell  over 
it,  and  'twas  finished." 

With  some  eagerness,  Clare  asked  : 

"Did  you  give  that  stuff  to  him?  You  might  have 
poisoned  him,  you  know." 

"  Dere  wa'n't  a  mite  o'  danger  o'  dat,"  replied  Dolly, 
in  a  dignified  manner.  "De  yerbs  was  on'y  good  for 
him,  an'  I  did  gin  'em  to  him.  You'd  believe  in  dem 
tings  ef  you'd  seed  how  quick  Tim  turned  off  dat  oder 
flirttin'  thing,  and  come  arter  me.  We  was  married, 
an'  a  more  lovin'er  husbin  never  was  as  long  as  he 
lived." 

"  I  hope  you  didn't  keep  on  dosing  him  with  it, 
Mammy  Dol,"  said  the  young  girl,  mischievously. 

"I  didn't  have  no  call  to  do  dat.  Miss  Clare;  onct  de 
iodides  o'  dat  bottle  was  'x'austecl,  dcre  wa'n't  no  need  o' 
nothin'  mo'.  oSTow  what  I  axes  you  to  lemme  do  for  you 
is,  to  go  to  ole  JSTancy  Blodge  what  lives  down  'bout 
Porch  mouth,  an'  git  you  a  bottle  o'  de  same  stuff.  She's 
de  'oman  what  made  mine,  an'  she's  mo'  pow'ful  now 
7 


114    A     NEW    WAY     TO     WIN     A     FOETUNE. 

dan  she  were  twenty  year  ago.  Ef  you'll  ou'y  take  it 
long  o'  you,  an'  gin  it  in  leetle  doses  to  Miss  'Dair,  she'll 
soon  tink  dat  de  sun  rises  and  sets  in  you." 

"Nonsense!  I  could  not  do  such  a  thing,  Mammy. 
I  must  take  my  chances  fairly,  and  not  attempt  to  drug 
the  old  lady  with  something  that  might  be  injurious 
to  her." 

"But  it  couldn't  hurt  her.  Ef  you  love  me,  my 
pretty  lamb,  you  won't  'ny  me  dis  chance  o'  sarvin' 
you." 

Clare  .still  objected,  and  tried  to  laugh  the  old  woman 
out  of  her  belief  in  the  efficacy  of  the  magic  liquid ;  but 
Dolly  was  not  to  be  convinced.  After  a  playful  war  of 
words,  she  finally  consented  to  take  with  her  the  love- 
charm  the  nurse  wished  to  provide,  though  she  declared 
that  she  would  never  be  tempted  to  use  it. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

MR.    DESMOND    FOILED. 

THE  invalid  slept  well  that  night,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing arose  looking  more  like  her  former  cheerful, 
happy  self  than  she  had  for  many  days.  It  was  a  very 
busy  day,  for  Mrs.  Desmond  had  to  make  arrangements 
for  leaving  home  for  several  weeks,  and  also  to  super- 
intend the  packing  that  was  necessary. 

Christine  and  Victor  were  to  be  left  with  their  father, 
and  Dolly  was  to  take  charge  of  the  house  in  the  absence 
of  her  mistress.  Christine  joyfully  consented  to  remain 


ME.    DESMOND     FOILED.  115 

behind,  for  she  adored  her  father,  and  was  glad  of  the 
opportunity  to  make  herself  useful  to  him. 

With  many  misgivings  as  to  what  might  happen  in 
his  absence,  Clare  saw  Mr.  Desmond  set  out  for  Ports- 
mouth soon  after  breakfast  was  over.  She  could  not 
resist  the  impulse  to  run  down  the  road  after  him, 
and  ask  : 

"Are  you  sure,  quite  sure  that  all  will  be  well  with 
you,  papa?" 

"  Quite  sure.  I  am  not  going  to  make  a  row,  Clare, 
so  you  need  not  grow  hysterical.  I  am  only  going  to 
lay  down  a  law  to  that  villain  which  he  will  break  at  his 
peril.  I  know  him  thoroughly,  child,  and  I  have  no 
more  to  fear  from  him  than  I  have  from  that  crowing 
rooster  yonder.  I  don't  know,  indeed,  but  the  chicken 
has  the  most  courage  of  the  two." 

Clare  laughed,  and  ran  in  again,  quite  reassured. 

Mr.  Desmond  went  on  his  way  trying  to  keep  the  rein 
over  his  temper,  for  he  almost  shook  with  rage  when  he 
thought  of  the  base  attempts  of  John  Spiers  to  intimidate 
his  daughter.  As  he  had  told  Clare,  he  had  no  fear  of 
the  young  man,  but  he  felt  a  tingling  desire  to  teach  him 
such  a  lesson  as  would  make  Spiers  very  much  afraid  of 
him  in  the  future. 

He  sighed  as  he  thought  of  the  impossibility  of  doing 
this  without  bringing  Clare's  name  before  the  public  in 
connection  with  that  of  Spiers,  and  he  reluctantly  made 
np  his  mind  that  "discretion  was  the  better  part  of  valor" 
in  this  annoying  case. 

He  found  old  Mr.  Spiers  in  the  shop  alone,  and  he 
looked  grim  and  hard  enough  when  he  looked  up  and 
saw  who  his  visitor  was. 


116      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"Excuse  me,  Mr.  Desmond,"  he  said,  "but  after  your 
parting  words  when  you  were  here  last,  I  hardly  ex- 
pected a  call  from  you  again.  It  must  be  something 
very  imperative  that  brings  you  here,  I  think." 

"Where  is  that  precious  scamp,  your  son?"  asked 
Mr.  Desmond.  "Of  course  I  have  business  here,  and 
with  him,  or  you  would  not  have  found  me  darkening 
your  doors  again.  I  wish  to  see  him  at  once." 

"  I  am  sorry  you  can't  be  gratified.  John  has  left 
town,  and  won't  be  back  for  several  days.  What  has  he 
been  doing  now,  I  should  like  to  know?" 

"  I  hardly  think  you  are  ignorant  of  his  doings,  anx- 
ious as  you  pretend  to  be  to  be  told  about  them.  What 
object  has  your  son,  in  trying  to  frighten  my  daughter 
into  accepting  him  as  'her  husband?"  asked  Mr.  Des- 
mond, with  as  much  calmness  as  he  could  command. 

With  a  great  assumption  of  astonishment,  Spiers  ex- 
claimed : 

"  Frightening  Miss  Desmond  !  I  do  not  understand 
you,  sir.  Pray  explain." 

"  I  know  the  explanation  is  unnecessary,  but  I  will 
give  it,  since  you  choose  to  show  ignorance  of  the  shame- 
ful part  your  son  has  been  playing.  He  has  carried  a 
pistol  in  his  pocket,  and  he  has  twice  threatened  to  com- 
mit wholesale  murder  if  the  girl  he  pretended  to  adore 
refused  to  accept  him.  Under  the  influence  of  fear,  she 
acceded  to  his  demand  ;  but  at  last  she  has  found  cour- 
age to  tell  me  the  truth.  Now  I  ask  you  what  punish- 
ment could  be  too  severe  for  a  miscreant  like  that?" 

The  black  eyes  of  the  listener  snapped  viciously  at 
this  question,  but  he  coolly  said  : 

"I  think  you  exaggerate,  Mr.  Desmond.     John  may 


ME.     DESMOND     FOILED.  117 

have  been  fiery  in  his  wooing,  for  he  is  deeply  in  love 
with  your  daughter,  but  I  decline  to  believe  that  he 
would  be  guilty  of  such  violence  as  you  describe.  At 
any  rate,  he  is  not  here  to  answer  for  himself,  and  I  de- 
cline to  be  any  further  troubled  about  this  affair.  I  was 
willing  for  him  to  marry  a  beggar,  as  his  heart  seemed 
to  be  set  on  it ;  but  I  am  not  willing  to  be  badgered  by 
you  at  every  turn.  I  think  the  best  thing  he  can  do 
will  be  to  give  up  the  girl ;  and  as  to  myself,  I  shall 
withdraw  my  consent  to  the  marriage  he  is  so  unworldly 
as  to  wish  to  make." 

There  was  much  in  this  speech  to  annoy  a  proud  man 
like  Desmond,  but  he  had  so  thorough  a  contempt  for  the 
man  who  uttered  it,  that  he  only  curled  his  lip,  and  said : 

"  It  is  a  pity  that  such  disinterestedness  should  not 
meet  its  reward,  Mr.  Spiers.  But  I  wish  both  you  and 
your  son  to  understand  that  there  is  not  the  ghost  of  a 
chance  that  my  daughter  will  ever  step  down  from  her 
own  level  to  wed  one  so  much  beneath  her  as  your  son. 
There  are  some  things  that  money  cannot  buy,  and 
among  them  are  honor  and  nobility  of  feeling.  I  called 
here  this  morning  to  say  that,  as  the  condition  I  imposed 
when  I  was  last  here  has  not  been  kept,  there  is  no 
reason  why  I  should  keep  from  the  world  that  little 
escapade  of  yours  which  has  hung  over  you  so  long.  I 
told  both  you  and  your  son  what  you  had  to  expect,  yet 
he  dared  to  drug  my  dog,  and  come  into  my  very  yard 
to  threaten  my  daughter." 

Spiers  gave  him  a  venomous  look,  but  he  grew  even 
whiter  than  he  naturally  was,  and  cringingly  said : 

"  I  hardly  think  it  fair  that  I  shall  be  punished  for 
the  misdeeds  of  my  son.  So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I 


118          ANEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

would  put  an  end  to  the  whole  affair  if  John  would 
listen  to  reason.  But  he's  madly  in  love,  and  it's  of  no 
use  to  talk  to  him  about  consequences.  He's  just  in  that 
state  of  mind  that  he's  reckless  about  everything  till  he's 
won  the  girl  he  has  set  his  heart  on.  You  must  admit 
one  thing  at  least,  Mr.  Desmond,  that  he  is  perfectly 
disinterested  in  his  wooing." 

With  a  searching  glance,  Desmond  slowly  replied : 

"  It  may  be  so ;  yet  I  hardly  know  how  to  credit  your 
son  with  such  a  virtue,  or  indeed  with  any  virtue,  for 
you  know  yourself  that  he  has  always  been  a  hard  case 
to  deal  with.  I  am  not  anxious  to  be  hard  on  you,  Mr. 
Spiers,  though  I  cannot  resist  the  belief  that  there  is 
some  conspiracy  between  yourself  and  John,  and  that 
you  both  look  forward  to  some  advantage  to  yourselves 
in  his  so  persistently  pursuing  my  daughter.  Come 
now ;  tell  me  under  what  delusion  you  are  acting,  and  I 
will  promise  to  be  as  reticent  about  that  affair  as  you 
could  wish." 

Spiers  coldly  replied : 

"  You  speak  in  riddles,  sir.  Why  should  I  conspire 
with  my  son  to  give  him  a  wife  who,  as  far  as  I  know, 
has  nothing  to  bring  him  in  the  way  of  dower,  and  no 
prospect  of  ever  having  anything  ?  If  you  are  one  of 
the  heirs  to  a  great  fortune  over  the  water,  I  have  never 
heard  of  it;  and  if  I  had,  I  shouldn't  think  much  of 
your  chances  ever  to  get  a  penny  from  such  a  source  as 
that.  You  see,  sir,  how  absurd  your  suspicions  are." 

Mr.  Desmond  watched  him  keenly  while  he  spoke, 
and  he  could  detect  nothing  in  his  guarded  manner  to 
strengthen  the  vague  belief  which  floated  in  his  mind, 
that  in  some  way  the  intended  liberality  of  Mrs.  Adair 


MR.     DESMOND     FOILED.  119 

had  become  known  to  Spiers  and  his  son.  He  quietly 
said : 

"/  have  no  claims  on  anything  in  my  native  land.  I 
brought  with  me,  when  I  came  to  this  country,  all  that  I 
was  entitled  to  from  my  father,  and  there  are  two  bro- 
thers, with  families,  who  are  older  than  I ;  so  you  see 
I  can  have  no  hope  of  ever  succeeding  to  the  family 
estate.  My  wife  has  few  relatives :  the  only  one  who 
has  money  she  has  never  known ;  and  if  that  lady  should 
take  the  fancy  to  notice  her  now,  no  one  can  count  on  the 
caprices  of  an  old  woman  who  has  everything  in  her 
own  power." 

Spiers  testily  said : 

"I  am  sure  I  know  nothing  of  Mrs.  Desmond's 
family,  nor  do  I  care  to  know.  Waiting  for  dead 
people's  shoes  isn't  to  my  taste  anyhow,  and  I  here  tell 
you  flatly,  that  if  John  pursues  this  affair,  it  will  be 
against  my  consent.  I've  been  insulted  enough  by  you, 
without  letting  a  girl  come  into  my  family  with  whom 
impertinence  is  probably  hereditary.  I  am  in  a  fair  way 
to  make  money  enough  for  me  and  mine,  without  cring- 
ing to  rich  people  to  give  me  the  means  of  living." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  are  so  prosperous,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Desmond,  coldly.  "As  to  my  child,  there  is 
no  possible  chance  that  she  will'  ever  become  a  member 
of  your  family  circle ;  but  should  so  great  a  misfortune 
have  happened  to  her,  I  think  she  would  never  have 
forgotten  that  she  has  had  the  training  of  a  lady.  I 
wish  you  to  say  to  your  son  that  I  know  everything  that 
has  passed  between  him  and  my  daughter,  and  I  warn 
him  against  interfering  with  her  again  in  any  way.  I 
too  can  carry  fire-arms,  and  I  will  use  them  to  his  detri- 


120       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

ment  if  he  again  attempts  to  annoy  her.  Before  I  leave 
town  it  is  my  purpose  to  call  at  a  magistrate's  office,  and 
leave  a  deposition  to  the  effect  that  my  life  has  been 
threatened  by  John  Spiers,  and  if  he  should  attack  me 
unfairly,  suspicion  will  at  once  be  pointed  at  him.  I 
shall  also  leave  with  a  friend  a  written  statement  of  the 
crime  of  which  you  were  guilty,  and  a  motive  for  his  act 
will  be  furnished  by  that.  I  think  I  have  placed  things 
on  a  proper  footing  now,  Mr.  Spiers,  and  I  will  bid  you 
good-morning." 

As  he  passed  out  of  the  shop,  John  Spiers,  who  had 
been  in  the  back  room  listening  through  a  crevice  left 
by  the  imperfectly  closed  door,  burst  in  upon  his  father, 
and  after  uttering  a  volley  of  oaths  went  on  to  say,  in 
an  excited  manner : 

"  I'll  be  more  than  even  with  him  yet,  the  old  pre- 
varicator— the  beggarly  old  humbug !  How  dare  he 
come  here  to  browbeat  us  in  our  own  house?  I  was 
tempted  more  than  once  to  rush  in  on  him  and  give  him 
a  few  scientific  taps  on  that  old  noddle  of  his,  but  I 
thought  better  of  it.  We  can  bring  him  down  to  his 

marrow-bones  in  a  better  fashion  than  that,  and  by 

I'll  do  it  too ! " 

"  Have  you  really  ventured  to  enter  his  yard,  John  ? 
I  hardly  thought  you'd  try  that  after  what  he  said  here 
the  other  day." 

"  Of  course  I've  been  there,  and  more  than  once  too. 
I  spoke 'to  Clare  night  before  last  through  the  window 
of  her  room ;  and  I  was  there  again  yesterday  evening 
while  the  family  were  at  supper.  I  found  out  that  the 
girl  was  sick,  and  I  thought  I  might  get  a  chance  to 
speak  to  her.  I  did  not  do  that,  but  something  better 


MR.     DESMOND     FOILED.  121 

for  my  plans  happened  while  I  was  crouched  down  near 
the  window." 

His  father  looked  interested,  and  asked : 

"  What  was  it,  John  ?  Of  course  you'll  keep  nothing 
back  from  me." 

"  Not  this,  at  any  rate,  for  you  must  help  me  to  profit 
by  it,  by  getting  that  elixir  made  in  time,  and  giving 
me  money  to  bribe  an  old  woman." 

"  The  preparation  is  nearly  completed,  and  as  to  the 
money,  I  think  you  always  help  yourself  freely  enough. 
Now  explain  what  you  overheard." 

"  The  old  nurse  was  sent  to  sit  with  Clare,  and  after 
giving  her  a  history  of  Mrs.  Adair  she  proposed  the  very 
thing  that  plays  into  our  hands.  The  old  woman  has 
faith  in  love-charms,  and  she  begged  her  young  lady  to 
allow  her  to  get  one  for  her  from  old  Nance  Blodge,  the 
mulatto  fortune-teller,  who  lives  in  a  hut  just  out  of 
town.  I  remember  going  to  her  once,  when  I  was  a 
boy,  to  find  out  from  her  who  had  stolen  a  lot  of  marbles 
from  me." 

"Of  course  she  did  not  tell  you  right;  but  what  about 
the  two  women  ?  What  did  they  say  ?  " 

"  Oh,  there  was  a  lot  of  talk,  and  at  first  Clare  would 
not  consent  to  use  such  a  thing,  but  the  old  darkle  had 
such  faith,  and  the  girl  herself  more  than  half  believes 
in  such  nonsense,  and  she  finally  agreed  that  old  Blodge 
should  be  applied  to.  Clare  thinks  she  only  accepted 
the  old  woman's  offer  to  please  her,  but  when  she  once 
has  the  bottle  in  her  possession,  I  shall  know  how  to 
urge  her  on  to  its  use,  though  I  shall  neither  see  nor 
write  to  her." 

His  father  gave  him  a  significant  look. 


122      A     NEW     WAY    TO     WIN    A     FOETUNE. 

"  I  understand.  You  will  bribe  Nancy  to  substitute 
our  preparation  for  one  of  her  own ;  and  that  young  lady 
you  spoke  of  as  Mrs.  Adair's  companion  is  to  use  such 
arts  as  will  be  necessary  to  bring  Miss  Desmond  in  our 
power  ?  " 

The  younger  man  nodded. 

"  Claudia  will  risk  anything  for  me,  and  when  the 
thing  is  neatly  done,  and  I  am  in  possession  of  the 
hoards  I  long  to  grasp,  she  shall  never  again  have  to 
submit  to  any  old  woman's  caprices  to  get  a  living.  She 
isn't  suited  to  that  kind  of  life,  and  I  am  glad  she'll  not 
have  to  bear  it  much  longer." 

"  Hum — Miss  Coyle  seems  to  be  more  to  you  than 
the  girl  you  have  been  playing  such  a  part  to  bind  to 
you." 

"She  is  more  to  me  than  any  other  woman  in  the 
world,  but  I  can't  marry  her,  because  we  are  both  too 
poor.  The  time  may  come,  though,  for  the  young 
simpleton  I  shall  force  into  my  arms  will  soon  break  her 
heart  under  such  treatment  as  I  shall  give  her,  to  pay 
her  for  all  the  trouble  she'll  cost  me.  Of  course  I  shall 
make  her  leave  me  all  the  property.  Then,  ho,  for  love 
and  Claudia  Coyle !  " 

Spiers  did  not  appear  to  recoil  from  this  iniquitous 
programme.  He  dryly  remarked  : 

"  I  would  not  care  to  insure  the  life  of  Mrs.  Spiers 
junior,  when  she  falls  in  your  hands  and  those  of  that 
charming  Claudia." 

The  younger  man  smiled  grimly,  and  again  referred 
to  the  fortune-teller. 

"  I  have  already  seen  Nancy,  and  she  has  promised 
that  if  I  will  pay  her  twenty  dollars  she  will  give  old 


MR.     DESMOND     FOILED.  123 

Dolly  the  bottle  you  will  prepare,  in  place  of  making 
one  of  her  own  infernal  decoctions.  At  first  she  ~yas 
suspicious,  but  I  made  her  believe  at  last  that  we  only 
wished  to  send  a  strengthening  medicine  to  a  strange  old 
lady,  who  would  not  take  anything  that  was  good  for 
her.  Nancy  is  a  miserable  old  crone,  and  when  I 
spoke  of  money  I  hardly  think  she  cared  what  the 
elixir  was,  provided  she  got  a  good  price  for  making  the 
exchange." 

"  Ha  !  ha  !  so  much  the  better ;  you  can  afford  to  pay 
her  when  the  money  will  bring  such  splendid  interest. 
Desmond  is  evidently  afraid  that  we  know  something 
about  his  daughter's  prospects.  Of  course  he  has  heard 
from  Mrs.  Adair,  and  they  will  only  be  too  anxious  to 
get  the  girl  away  from  your  vicinity  as  soon  as  possible. 
Now  that  she  has  plucked  up  courage  to  tell  on  yon,  you 
had  better  keep  out  of  her  way  till  the  elixir  has  done 
its  work,  and  the  will  been  made  in  Miss  Desmond's 
favor.  Then  you  can  carry  all  before  you,  and  leave  her 
no  alternative  but  death  by  the  laws  of  her  country,  or  a 
marriage  with  you.  There  can  be  little  doubt  as  to 
her  choice,  for  she  has  shown  that  she  can  be  easily 
frightened." 

His  listener  shrugged  his  shoulders  contemptuously. 

"  If  she  refused  to  yield  to  necessity,  she  should  to 
force,  for  I  shall  carry  her  off  as  soon  as  I  know  for 
certain  that  the  fortune  is  hers,  and  compel  her  to  marry 
me.  I  have  settled  everything,  and  I  don't  wish  to  go 
near  her  to  keep  up  that  farce  of  adoring  her  any  longer. 
I  will  allow  her  to  lull  herself  into  fancied  security,  aiyl 
then  come  down  on  her  -\vith  such  proofs  of  her  guilt 
that  she  will  almost  believe  herself  that  she  meant  to 


124       A     XEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FOKTUNE. 

kill  her  benefactress,  that  she  might  possess  herself  of 
her  money." 

"You  are  very  clever,  John;  but  have  you  ascer- 
tained if  the  old  lady  is  really  worth  money  enough  to 
make  it  worth  while  to  take  all  this  trouble  and  risk  ?  " 

"She  is  worth  a  quarter  of  a  million  at  least,  and 
that,  I  reckon,  you'll  think  worth  getting  hold  of." 

"  Oh,  indeed  !  But  here  comes  Beal,  so  we  must  wait 
for  another  opportunity  to  speak  together." 

The  young  clerk  came  in  looking  very  much  flushed. 

"You  are  late  this  morning,"  said  his  employer 
severely. 

"  Yes,  sir,  but  it  was  unavoidable.  My  mother  was 
very  ill  last  night,?and  I  could  not  leave  her  sooner  than 
this.  It  is  not  often  that  I  am  behind  time,  Mr.  Spiers, 
and  I  hope  you  will  excuse  me." 

" '  Least  said,  soonest  mended.'  Now  that  you  are 
here,  pray  go  to  work  and  make  up  for  lost  time,"  was 
the  ungracious  response,  and  Beal  meekly  obeyed  the 
mandate  without  uttering  another  word. 


CHAPTER    X. 

CLAEE'S  NEW  FRIEND. 

ON  the  appointed  morning  a  hired  carriage  drove  to 
the  door,  and  Clare,  with  many  tears,  parted  from 
those  she  was  to  leave  behind  her,  and  old  Dolly  threw 
after  the  carriage  a  shoe  for  good  luck. 

The  nurse  had  bestirred  herself  in  the  matter  of  the 


CLARE'S    NEW    FRIEND.  125 

love-charm,  which  she  believed  would  insure  to  her 
young  lady  the  favor  of  Mrs.  Adair,  and  she  had  made 
two  visits  to  Nancy  Blodge  since  the  evening  on  which 
she  spoke  about  it  with  Miss  Desmond.  Late  on  the 
previous  night  she  had  secured  the  precious  elixir,  and 
that  morning  she  brought  it  with  much  mystery  to 
Clare's  apartment.  Dolly  chose  an  opportunity  when  no 
one  else  was  in  the  room,  and  she  triumphantly  displayed 
a  small  flat  bottle  filled  with  a  transparent  liquid  of  a 
pale  amber  color. 

"  Thar,  honey !  you'll  be  all  right  now.  Dis  is  de 
strongest  charm  Nancy's  ever  done  made,  an'  ef  you'd 
hearn  her  mutterin'  big  words  over  it,  yon  wouldn't 
laugh  as  you're  doin'  now,  caze  you'd  know  dat  she 
unstans  hocus-pocus.  Now,  Miss  Clar',  you  mus'  prom- 
ise me  dat  you'll  be  sho  to  use  dis  here  charm,  ef  de  ole 
madam  don't  show  to  onct  dat  she  thinks  you  sweeter'u 
de  roses  o'  May.  You  see,  chile,  dat  I've  done  tuck  a 
heap  o'  trouble  to  git  it  in  time,  an'  I  think  you  orter 
tell  me  dat  you'll  use  it,  ef  Miss  'Dair  takes  too  much 
time  to  'sider  'bout  leavin'  you  de  prop'ty." 

Clare  subsided  into  gravity  as  the  nurse  talked  on. 
She  shrank  from  touching  the  bottle ;  yet  it  possessed  a 
vivid  interest  for  her  as  a  possible  means  of  winning  her 
aunt's  regard;  should  she  be  so  unfortunate  as  not  to 
please  that  lady's  capricious  fancy. 

With  a  slight  tremor  in  her  voice,  she  said  : 

"  It  is  all  nonsense,  Mammy  Dolly.  I  know  that  the 
liquor  in  that  bottle  is  only  some  mess  made  up  by  old 
Nancy,  and  can  be  of  no  use  anyway ;  but  as  you  have 
taken  the  trouble  to  get  it  for  me,  and  you  have  assured 
me  that  it  is  harmless,  I  will  not  refuse  to  accept  it.  I 


126      A     NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

have  no  idea,  though,  that  I  shall  be  tempted  to  give 
Mrs.  Adair  any  of  it." 

"Mebbe  not,  mebbe  not;  but  it's  safest  to  have  it  at 
hand,  in  case  it's  wantiu'.  I'll  put  it  in  this  here  box 
'long  of  yer  hangshers,  and  anybody  what  sees  it'll  think 
it's  some  kind  of  'fumery  what  you  uses  on  'em.  You 
see  dem  six  marks  on  de  paper  what's  pasted  on  it? 
Dey  means  six  drops  for  a  dose,  an'  it  won't  change  de 
taste  of  water  nor  wine  nuther." 

"  Oh,  well,  put  it  out  of  sight  before  some  one  comes 
in.  I  suppose  I  must  take  it,  or  you'd  be  perfectly 
miserable." 

"  I  should  be  very  sorry,  Missy,  ef  you  didn't,  caze 
I'm  sho  you'll  have  need  o'  it.  White  folks  is  mighty 
onsartin,  an'  Miss  'Dair  is  de  mos'  onsartinest  o'  all,  ef 
what  I've  hearn  tell  o'  her  be  true." 

"  I  declare,  you  make  me  quite  dread  a  meeting  with 
my  aunt.  Such  an  old  lady  can't  be  very  formidable,  I 
think." 

"There  an't  nothin'  the  matter  wi'  her  form  dat  I 
knows  on.  She  used  to  be  thought  a  gran'  lookin'  'oman, 
though  she  wasn't  so  tall  arter  all.  It  was  just  her 
prideful  way  o'  carryin'  herself  dat  made  people  say  she 
looked  like  a  borned  queen.  She's  los'  all  dat  now,  I 
reckin,  fur  she's  ole,  an'  she's  had  'flictions,  what's  made 
her  know  dat  de  Lord  dou't  'prove  o'  de  ways  o'  de 
scorner." 

"  There ;  please  don't  talk  about  Mrs.  Adair  any  more 
or  I  shall  lose  all  courage  to  face  the  ordeal  before  me. 
There  is  the  breakfast  bell,  and  we  are  going  as  soon  as 
that  is  over.  Hide  the  bottle,  and  lock  my  trunk,  while 
I  am  gone,  Mammy,  and  don't  forget  to  give  me  the  key." 


FRIEND  127 

Clare  hurried  away,  and  the  fatal  elixir  that  was  so 
craftily  imposed  on  her — that  was  destined  to  bring  her 
so  much  woe — was  safely  bestowed  in  her  trunk  by  the 
poor  old  nurse,  who  thought  she  was  doing  the  greatest 
service  in  her  power  to  the  being  she  loved  best  in  the 
world. 

When  the  morning  meal  was  over,  Mr.  Desmond  sat 
a  few  moments  on  the  piazza  with  his  daughter,  giving 
her  such  last  words  of  advice  as  he  thought  would  be 
useful  to  her  in  her  new  sphere.  He  had  always  been 
especially  fond  of  her,  and  he  felt  very  tender  toward  her 
in  this  parting  hour. 

At  length  he  drew  her  to  him,  and  softly  repeated 
some  lines  that  had  once  touched  him  : 

" '  Come  lean  once  more  upon  my  breast, 

As  when  a  simple  child  caressing, 
For  another  day,  and  far  away 
Wilt  thou  be  from  thy  father's  blessing.' 

"  The  young  girl  to  whom  those  lines  \vere  addressed 
was  about  to  leave  the  home  of  her  childhood  as  a  bride; 
but  the  fragment  I  have  quoted  from  the  poem  applies 
to  you,  my  darling.  You  cannot  know  how  hard  it  is  to 
me  to  give  you  up,  and  I  would  never  have  done  so,  had 
I  not  felt  how  incompetent  I  am  to  win  a  bright  future 
for  those  I  love.  Mrs.  Adair  has  purchased  the  right  to 
you  for  a  season  at  least,  by  her  kindness  to  your  mother; 
and  you  will  be  able  to  bear  the  exile  from  your  own 
home,  when  you  remember  that  the  old  lady's  liber- 
ality has  brought  hope  and  light  in  a  house  that  so  sorely 
needed  them." 

Clare  wept  silently  upon  his  breast  a  few  moments, 
and  then  softly  said  : 


128      A     NEW     A\rAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE." 

"  Dear  papa,  I  will  try  to  be  contented.  I  promise  to 
make  every  effort  to  win  the  good  opinion  of  my  aunt, 
and  every  day  I  will  recall  the  advice  you  have  given 
me,  that  I  may  guide  myself  by  it." 

"I  can  ask  no  more  than  that  of  you,  my  daughter. 
But  remember  one  thing — there  must  be  no  more  flirting. 
You  have  had  one  severe  experience  which  should  be  a 
warning  to  you.  I  wish  you  to  marry  when  you  find  a 
noble  and  true  man  who  is  worthy  to  win  you ;  but  to 
such  a  one  you  must  not  take  a  heart  soiled  and  hard- 
ened by  a  coquette's  experience." 

"Dearest  father,  do  not,  I  entreat,  refer  to  that 
humiliating  affair  again.  Never  again  will  I  be  tempted, 
by  fondness  for  admiration,  to  give  the  slightest  encour- 
agement to  any  man  but  the  one  I  intend  to  marry. 
When  you  remember  how  young  I  am,  you  surely  can 
find  some  excuse  for  the  folly  of  which  I  have  been  guilty." 

"  It  needs  only  my  love  for  you,  Clare,  to  condone  an 
offence  even  greater  than  that.  But  here  comes  the  car- 
riage, my  dear,  and  you  must  make  ready  to  leave.  I 
shall  see  you  again  before  the  day  of  your  departure  for 
Riverdale  arrives,  and  I  shall  come  over  to  Norfolk  to 
take  you  to  the  steamer  myself." 

Half  an  hour  later  Mrs.  Desmond  and  her  daughter 
were  on  their  way  to  the  ferry-boat  which  plies  between 
the  two  rival  towns ;  they  did  not  alight  from  the  car- 
riage, because  they  did  not  wish  to  have  it  known  that 
Clare  was  leaving  the  neighborhood  for  an  indefinite 
time.  But  John  Spiers  was  on  the  watch,  and  he 
laughed  in  his  sleeve  at  the  useless  precaution  taken  to 
conceal  from  him  what  was  quite  as  well  known  to  him 
as  to  the  family  at  Desmonia. 


CLARE'S   NEW   FRIEND.  129 

Mrs.  Ford  was  an  elderly  widow  with  no  family,  and 
in  possession  of  a  comfortable  independence.  She  owned 
a  pretty  home  in  the  suburb  extending  toward  Fort 
Norfolk.  A  row  of  Lombardy  poplars  was  planted 
along  the  whole  length  of  the  iron  fence,  and  trees,  grass 
and  flowers  were  found  in  the  small  but  well-kept  en- 
closure. The  house  Avas  large  and  well  ventilated,  and 
in  its  hospitable  rooms  every  appliance  for  comfort  was 
found. 

The  old  lady  herself  was  a  plump,  rosy-faced  woman, 
who  wore  her  own  gray  hair  under  a  small  lace  cap 
trimmed  with  lilac  ribbons.  Her  dress  was  always 
black,  relieved  at  the  throat  and  wrists  by  bands  of 
white  linen. 

Mrs.  Desmond  had  warned  her  of  their  intended 
arrival,  and  everything  was  in  order  for  their  reception. 
The  guests  were  made  to  feel  that  they  were  welcome, 
and  in  a  short  time  they  felt  themselves  perfectly  at 
home. 

The  next  few  days  were  passed  in  a  most  agreeable 
manner  to  Clare.  Every  morning  Mrs.  Ford  took  her- 
self and  her  mother  in  her  carriage  to  the  places  they 
wished  to  visit,  and  they  came  back  with  such  beautiful 
things  as  made  the  young  girl's  heart  dance  for  joy.  A 
complete  outfit  was  purchased  for  her,  and  a  woman  em- 
ployed in  the  house  to  assist  in  the  plain  sewing,  while 
the  handsome  dresses  were  taken  to  a  fashionable  mantua- 
maker  to  be  made  up  in  the  latest  style. 

Clare  sewed  very  neatly  herself,  and  she  took  great 
delight  in  preparing  her  new  garments;  but  she  also 
found  time  to  receive  and  return  the  visits  made  to  her 
by  her  old  schoolmates.  When  it  became  known  that 


130      A    NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FOBTUNE. 

Mrs.  Adair  had  made  advances  to  her  impoverished 
kinswoman — that  her  daughter  would,  in  all  probability, 
become  the  heiress  of  her  large  fortune — much  interest 
was  excited,  and  even  lukewarm  friends  flocked  to  see 
those  who  for  the  last  year  had  been  almost  forgotten. 
Clare  attended  several  small  summer  parties,  and  re- 
ceived so  much  admiration  from  the  naval  officers 
attached  to  a  frigate  lying  in  the  stream  in  front  of  the 
town,  that  her  head  might  have  been  turned  but  for  the 
warning  given  by  her  father.  She  thoroughly  enjoyed 
the  homage — what  young  and  pretty  girl  would  not? — 
but  she  was  careful  to  make  no  distinction  among  her 
admirers. 

With  much  effort  the  wardrobe  was  made  ready  by 
the  day  appointed  by  Mrs.  Adair,  and  on  the  evening 
before,  a  gentlemanly-looking  man,  plainly  dressed, 
made  his  appearance  at  Mrs.  Ford's,  and  announced  him- 
self as  Mr.  Clifford,  the  manager  of  Mrs.  Adair's  busi- 
ness affairs. 

That  lady  had  spoken  of  him  only  as  her  manager ; 
but  it  was  evident  that  he  held  himself  superior  to  a  man 
who  merely  looked  after  the  negroes  and  the  making  of 
crops.  He  talked  intelligently  on  most  subjects,  and  it 
incidentally  came  out,  in  the  course  of  the  conversation, 
that  Mr.  Clifford  had  married  a  half-sister  of  Captain 
Adair,  who  was  many  years  her  brother's  junior ;  that  he 
had  been  unfortunate  in  trade,  and  had  gladly  accepted 
a  home  at  Riverdale  for  himself  and  his  son. 

His  wife  had  been  dead  many  years,  but  Mrs.  Adair's 
kindness  to  the  bereaved  child  had,  in  some  measure, 
compensated  for  the  loss  the  boy  had  sustained. 

Mr.  Clifford  spoke  with  the  simple  straightforwardness 


CLAEE'S   NEW   FRIEND.  131 

of  a  man  who  had  nothing  to  conceal  himself,  with  no 
thought  of  double-dealing  in  his  mind,  and  Clare  felt 
her  heart  open  to  him  at  once.  She  impulsively  ex- 
claimed : 

"  I  am  so  glad  to  hear  that  Mrs.  Adair  likes  one 
young  person.  My  dearest  hope  is,  that  she  will  be  as 
good  to  me  as  she  has  been  to  your  son." 

With  a  smile  that  was  very  genial,  Mr.  Cliiford  said : 

"  Mrs.  Adair  is  particularly  partial  to  all  young  people 
who  are  gay,  and  bright,  and  handsome.  She  places 
especial  stress  on  those  three  things ;  but  the  first  two 
are  of  little  value  in  her  eyes  without  the  last.  I  have 
never  known  a  woman  who  appreciated  mere  physical 
beauty  so  highly.  To  her  there  is  something  absolutely 
repulsive  in  an  ugly  woman." 

Clare  involuntarily  glanced  at  a  large  mirror  which 
reflected  her  graceful  form,  clad  in  a  becoming  evening 
dress,  and  she  smiled  at  the  reflection  of  the  charming 
face  that  smiled  back  at  her.  Mr.  Clifford  observed  this 
by-play,  and  understood  it.  He  quietly  said : 

"  You  will  stand  that  test  easily  enough,  Miss  Des- 
mond, for  you  are  very  lovely.  I  think,  too,  you  will  be 
able  to  hold  your  own  in  other  respects,  if  you  are 
allowed  fair  play." 

"  Who  is  to  prevent  that  ?  "  asked  Clare,  in  surprise. 
"  Of  course  my  aunt,  who  has  summoned  me  to  her 
presence,  will  be  anxious  to  judge  me  as  leniently  as 
possible." 

"  Yes — such  is  Mrs.  Adair's  wish,  no  doubt ;  but  she 
is  not  the  woman  she  once  was,  and  she  can  be  influenced 
far  more  easily  than  in  her  earlier  days." 

"  But  who  would  desire  to  influence  her  against  me, 


132      A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

Mr.  Clifford  ?  You  quite  frighten  me  at  the  thought  of 
an  enemy  under  the  strange  roof  I  am  going  to  be 
sheltered  by." 

"  My  dear  young  lady,  do  not  jump  to  such  rapid 
conclusions.  You  may  chance  to  find  a  good  friend  in 
the  lady  I  refer  to,  and  in  herself  she  is  a  very  attractive 
person." 

"But  who  is  this  person?  And  what  position  does 
she  hold  in  Mrs.  Adair's  family?  " 

"Miss  Coyle  is  your  aunt's  companion.  She  is  a 
young,  beautiful  and  highly  accomplished  woman :  she 
has  lived  with  Mrs.  Adair  for  .the  last  year,  gaining  a 
degree  of  influence  that  I  never  expected  any  human 
creature  to  wield  over  her." 

"In  that  case,  I  can  only  wonder  that  Miss  Coyle 
allowed  me  to  be  summoned  to  Riverdale  at  all,"  said 
Clare,  in  a  low  voice.  "  If  I  understand  you  aright,  my 
interests  will  be  antagonistic  to  hers." 

"  NotSiecessarily  so,  unless — "  He  checked  himself 
suddenly,  and  with  a  faint  smile,  said :  "  I  have  allowed 
myself  to  be  beguiled  into  talking  to  you  as  if  I  had 
known  you  from  your  childhood.  I  do  not  think  that 
you  could  make  an  evil  use  of  anything  I  may  tell  you, 
to  put  you  on  your  guard,  Miss  Desmond.  Your  face  is 
so  true  and  good  that  I  think  I  might  trust  you  that  far." 

"  Indeed — indeed  you  may,"  was  the  eager  reply.  "  I 
am  so  anxious  to  know  something  of  this  unknown  land 
into  which  I  am  about  to  venture,  that  I  shall  be  most 
grateful  for  some  knowledge  of  its  inhabitants.  I  can  be 
prudent,  and  reticent  too,  Mr.  Clifford,  even  if  I  am  a 
young  girl ;  and  I  know  that  I  am  incapable  of  making 
a  treacherous  use  of  anything  you  may  say  to  me." 


CLARE'S   NEW   FRIEND.  133 

He  regarded  her  gravely  a  moment,  and  then  said : 

"  You  are  a  very  impulsive  person,  Miss  Desmond ; 
but  in  spite  of  that,  I  am  not  afraid  to  speak  more  plainly 
to  you  than  I  would  to  many  an  older  woman. 

"  I  have  carefully  observed  Miss  Coyle  since  she  has 
been  at  Riverdale,  and  you  will  some  time  know  why  I 
took  pains  to  understand  the  manoeuvres  of  this  young 
lady.  At  first  she  evidently  intended  to  induce  Mrs. 
Adair  to  make  a  will  in  her  own  favor,  and  this  she 
might  have  accomplished  but  for  one  bar  to  success. 
The  old  lady  has  a  crotchet  in  her  head  about  the  fair 
disposal  of  her  property,  which  I  cannot  now  explain. 
It  would  not  be  fair  to  you  to  do  so ;  but  you  will  learn 
it  in  good  time.  Miss  Coyle  could  not  fulfil  the  re- 
quired conditions,  so  she  gave  up,  and  advocated  the 
whim  of  Mrs.  Adair  to  send  for  you.  In  fact,  I  am  not 
sure  that  she  did  not  suggest  it  herself.  At  first  I 
thought  her  extremely  self-interested,  but  of  late  I  am 
compelled  to  see  that  she  is  not  so  mercenary  a!  I  once 
believed  her.  Miss  Coyle  is  a  person  I  cannot  under- 
stand, and  therefore  I  regard  her  as  one  not  entirely  to 
be  trusted.  I  think  she  will  be  very  cordial  and  affec- 
tionate with  you,  and  I  merely  wish  to  put  you  on  your 
guard  against  trusting  to  her  sincerity  too  implicitly. 
Pardon  me,  Miss  Desmond,  but  you  are  evidently  so 
young  and  inexperienced,  that  I  cannot  allow  you  to  go 
into — I  was  going  to  say  the  lions'  den,  but  that  would 
bo  gross  exaggeration  on  my  part — into — into  the  atmos- 
phere of  finesse  you  are  about  to  enter,  without  giving 
you  some  idea  of  what  you  will  have  to  encounter." 

Clare  grew  pale,  and  anxiously  said : 

"  I  fear  that  I  shall  be  unequal  to  what  lies  before  me, 


134       A     NEW    WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

Mr.  Clifford.  I  have  lived  in  a  happy  and  united 
family,  and  I  have  been  taught  to  feel  the  truth  of 
Wordsworth's  beautiful  lines : 

"  There  is  a  comfort  in  the  strength  of  love; 
'Twill  make  a  thing  endurable,  which  else 
Would  overset  the  brain  or  break  the  heart.' 

I  have  had  no  experience  in  duplicity  or  coldness ;  how 
then  am  I  to  cope  with  them  among  strangers,  and  with 
no  one  to  sustain  me  in  the  conflict?  If  my  parents  had 
not  accepted  of  Mrs.  Adair's  bounty,  I  think  I  should 
beg  to  be  taken  back  to  my  own  home,  and  allowed  to 
remain  there." 

"  My  dear  young  lady,  that  would  simply  be  throwing 
away  your  chances  of  a  brilliant,  and,  I  hope,  a  happy 
future.  Mrs.  Adair  has  quick  perceptions,  and  a  desire 
to  be  just  in  her  dealings;  both  those  facts  are  in  your 
favor,  for  a  guileless  nature,  such  as  I  am  sure  yours  is, 
will  make  a  favorable  impression  on  her  from  the  first; 
and  if  you  find  it  possible  to  fall  into  her  plans  for  you, 
Miss  Coyle  will  have  no  power  to  injure  you  in  any 
way." 

"  But  what  are  her  plans  ?  " 

"Ah !  that  is  what  I  cannot  tell  you.  If  I  betrayed 
them  she  would  never  forgive  me,  and  besides,  I  have 
reasons  of  my  own  for  withholding  them.  In  due  time 
Mrs.  Adair  will  enlighten  you  herself,  and  I  can  only 
hope  that  you  will  then  find  no  difficulty  in  complying 
with  her  wishes." 

"  Oh,  dear !  what  a  complicated  existence  you  must  all 
lead  in  that  new  home  to  which  I  am  going.  Mrs. 
Adair  is  a  sort  of  sphinx,  I  suppose,  and  we  must  all 
bow  before  her  till  her  oracular  lips  unclose  and  reveal 


CLARE'S   NEW   FRIEND.  135 

the  fate  she  assigns  us.  You  seem  to  be  interested  in 
her  decisions,  as  well  as  this  Miss  Coyle,  and  I  am  sure 
I  myself  am." 

Mr.  Clifford  changed  color  slightly,  but  he  gravely 
said: 

"  You  show  more  acuteness  in  your  judgment  than  I 
expected,  but  you  are  right:  I  am  interested.  If  you 
understood  all,  you  would  see  that  I  have  the  right  to 
be  so,  Miss  Desmond.  You  will  have  a  friend  in  me, 
remember,  let  things  turn  out  as  they  may ;  and  I  have 
much  influence  with  the  old  lady.  If  I  could  only 
master  the  subtle  plans  of  Claudia  Coyle,  I  am  almost 
sure  I  could  make  myself  master  of  the  situation.  If  I 
could,  I  assure  you  that  you  should  not  be  a  loser." 

"  Thank  you.  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  one  friend  to 
turn  to,  on  whom  I  can  rely ;  but  what  you  have  said  to 
me  only  frightens  and  bewilders  me.  I  am  such  a  sad 
coward,  that  I  would  turn  back  now,  if  such  a  thing 
were  possible." 

"  It  is  too  late  for  that.  You  will  win,  my  child — 
you  must  win,  if  you  will  only  be  true  to  the  fine  in- 
stincts of  your  nature.  I  am  a  good  judge  of  character; 
and  I  see  that  you  are  one  to  be  trusted  to  do  what  is 
right  and  proper,  even  under  the  most  difficult  circum- 
stances. Accept  Miss  Coyle's  advances,  but  confide 
nothing  to  her,  for  your  interests  and  hers  are  antagonis- 
tic; do  not  forget  that.  She  will  fascinate  you  in  spite 
of  this  warning ;  she  will  probably  tell  you  that  to  her 
you  owe  it  that  Mrs.  Aclair  remembered  that  your 
mother  and  her  family  are  all  the  relatives  she  has  in 
the  world.  But  do  not  be  won  over  to  look  on  her  as  a 
true  friend.  I  mistrust  her,  and  not  without  cause." 


136       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

After  a  pause,  Clare  replied  : 

"  I  will  try  to  remember  all  you  have  said,  but  I  shall 
hate  to  suspect  and  mistrust  one  with  whom  I  must  be 
thrown  every  day.  I  am  very  grateful  for  your  interest 
in  me,  Mr.  Clifford,  but  I  am  afraid  that  you  have  only 
made  my  position  more  difficult  in  Mrs.  Adair's  house, 
by  what  you  have  told  me." 

"  That  may  be  so,  Miss  Desmond,  but  I  could  not,  in 
fairness  to  you,  allow  you  to  walk  blindly  into  any  snare 
that  scheming  woman  may  prepare  for  you.  I  hope 
you  will  at  least  give  me  the  credit  for  kindly  feeling 
toward  yourself,  as  one  of  the  motives  that  impelled  me 
to  this  confidence." 

Clare  could  not  help  saying : 

"  Then  you  had  more  than  one  motive." 

Clifford  smiled  slightly  as  he  replied  : 

"  I  see  that  one  must  be  careful  in  the  choice  of  words 
when  speaking  with  you.  Yes,  I  had  other  motives — 
but  they  are  not  detrimental  to  you.  Time  will  enable 
you  to  judge  of  them,  and  also  to  understand  why  I 
cannot  now  speak  more  plainly." 

Clare  frankly  offered  him  her  hand,  and  said : 

"  I  can  take  your  motives  on  trust,  Mr.  Clifford,  for  I 
feel  sure  that  you  mean  only  good  to  me." 

"  Thank  you ;  that  is  well.  You  will  have  more  con- 
fidence in  yourself  if  you  feel  that  you  have  a  friend 
near  you  in  whom  you  can  trust.  I  think  we  had  better 
go  in  now,  or  your  mother  will  wonder  what  we  have 
been  speaking  of  so  long.  She  is  sorry  to  lose  you,  and 
it  may  be  as  well  not  to  increase  her  uneasiness  by  speak- 
ing of  what  has  passed  between  us  out  here." 

He  had  drawn  her  from  the  house,  under  the  pretext 


CLARE'S    NEW    FRIEND.  137 

of  getting  a  better  view  of  the  frigate  lying  ai  anchor  in 
the  harbor,  and  they  had  been  walking  on  the  beach, 
which  was  only  a  few  hundred  yards  distant  from  the 
dwelling. 

In  reply  to  his  last  words,  Clare  nodded  intelligently, 
and  they  walked  forward  in  silence,  while  she  furtively 
glanced  at  the  grave  face  of  her  companion,  and  felt  that 
it  was  one  she  could  trust. 

Mr.  Clifford  was  a  man  of  fifty,  with  regular,  well-cut 
features,  deep,  clear  gray  eyes,  and  dark  hair  slightly 
sprinkled  with  gray.  His  face  was  smoothly  shaved, 
and  the  expression  of  his  mouth  was  gentle,  though  the 
square  chin  indicated  firmness.  His  tall  form  drooped 
slightly  forward,  and  he  had  more  the  air  of  a  student 
than  a  man  of  active  business  habits. 
-  When  they  reached  the  house  they  found  that  Mr. 
Desmond  had  arrived,  and,  on  meeting,  the  two  gentle- 
men recognized  each  other  as  acquaintances  who  had  met 
more  than  once  in  a  banking  establishment  with  which 
they  had  both  transacted  business. 

"  Upon  my  word,  Clifford,  are  you  the  manager  of 
whom  Mrs.  Adair  spoke  in  her  letter  to  me?  I  know 
that  you  are  a  connection  of  hers,  and  I  really  think 
the  proud  old  dame  might  have  referred  to  you  more 
respectfully." 

"  I  do  oversee  her  affairs,  and  in  that  sense  I  am  her 
man  of  all  work,"  replied  Mr.  Clifford,  smiling.  "I  see 
that  the  negroes  are  well  treated  and  properly  cared  for 
too,  though  I  do  not  follow  them  in  the  field.  Mrs. 
Adair  has  but  one  name  to  bestow  on  the  person  who 
renders  her  such  service,  and  I  am  not  too  proud  to  bear 
it,  I  assure  you." 


138       A     NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOETUNE. 

"  That  is  well ;  and  you  really  like  this  old  lady  ?  I 
am  going  to  send  my  daughter  to  her,  but  I  do  it  with 
many  misgivings.  I  shall  feel  easier  about  her  since 
you  are  the  person  sent  to  escort  her  to  her  new  home." 

"Thank  you.  After  supper  is  over,  I  wish  to  speak 
with  you  in  private ;  we  can  stroll  out  with  our  cigars 
and  have  as  long  a  talk  as  we  please." 

Mr.  Desmond  assented,  and  that  evening  they  were 
absent  more  than  an  hour.  Every  moment  of  the  time 
was  passed  in  earnest  conversation,  and,  when  they  at 
last  thought  of  returning,  Mr.  Desmond  earnestly  said : 

"  I  feel  grateful  to  you  for  the  interest  you  take  in 
Clare,  and  I  shall  feel  better  satisfied  now  that  I  know 
she  has  a  good  friend  where  she  is  going.  As  to  the 
other  matter,  we  must  leave  affairs  to  take  their  course. 
Interference  would  probably  mar  our  plans.  As  to  Miss 
Coyle,  she  is  dangerous,  and  to  be  guarded  against." 

"  Yes,  she  is  secretive,  and  therefore  to  be  mistrusted. 
I  shall  foil  her  yet,  if  I  can  only  ascertain  her  motives 
for  wishing  your  daughter  to  come  to  Riverdale." 

"If  I  thought  it  was  with  any  evil  intent,  I  would 
take  my  child  back  with  me,  and  give  up  all  hopes  from 
Mrs.  Adair." 

"  You  may  trust  Clare  to  me.  She  is  charming,  and 
Mrs.  Adair  will  yet  make  her  the  heiress." 


THE    DEPAETUEE    FOE    EIVEEDALE.       139 

CHAPTER   XI. 

THE  DEPAETUEE  FOE  EIVEEDALE. 

OX  the  following  morning,  Clare  Desmond  set  out  on 
her  momentous  journey.  She  had  sat  up  till  a 
late  hour  of  the  previous  night,  talking  with  her  mother, 
and  listening  to  her  maternal  counsels  as  to  how  she 
should  walk  in  the  new  and  difficult  path  on  which  she 
was  about  to  enter. 

Clare  gave  her  mother  no  hint  of  what  had  passed 
that  evening  between  Mr.  Clifford  and  herself,  but  she 
was  greatly  cheered  by  a  reference  Mrs.  Desmond  her- 
self made  to  her  new  friend.  She  said  : 

"Your  father  has  long  known  Mr.  Clifford,  and  he 
has  a  high  esteem  for  him.  If  you  should  need  advice, 
you  will  be  quite  safe  in  going  to  him." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,  mamma,  for  I  like 
him,  and  I  think  he  is  friendly  to  me." 

"Of  course  he  is.  Why  should  not  every  one  be 
friendly  to  a  young  and  innocent  child  like  you ;  and 
one,  too,  who  is  sent  away  from  her  natural  protectors,  as 
we  are  forced  to  send  you  ?  Oh,  my  darling,  you  must 
Avrite  to  me  every  week,  and  tell  me  all  that  happens  to 
you." 

"  I  shall  certainly  do  that,  mamma,  and  you  or  Chris- 
tine must  also  send  me  a  weekly  bulletin." 

Thus  they  talked,  and  tried  to  beguile  the  pain  of  a 
separation  which  both  acutely  felt,  though  they  believed 
it  would  be  but  temporary. 

The  morning  came;  it  was  brilliantly  clear,  and  the 


140       A    NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FOETUNE. 

soft  air  which  blew  from  the  river  tempered  the  heat  of 
the  summer  sun. 

The  whole  party  went  down  to  the  steamer,  and  Mrs. 
Ford  declared  her  intention  to  keep  Mrs.  Desmond  with 
her  till  she  was  reconciled  to  the  departure  of  her 
daughter.  She  had  been  very  kind  to  Clare  j  had  made 
her  a  handsome  present,  and  exacted  from  her  a  promise 
to  visit  her  whenever  an  opportunity  offered. 

The  last  words  were  said,  the  final  embrace  taken,  and 
the  cherished  object  of  so  much  love  and  care  was  left  to 
go  upon  her  way,  to  tread  a  path  apparently  strewn  with 
flowers,  but  on  which  she  was  to  find  a  trial  so  fiery  that, 
to  her  gentle  nature,  even  death  would  have  been  pref- 
erable to  such  an  ordeal. 

Clare,  in  a  light  summer  travelling-dress,  sat  beneath 
the  awning  spread  over  the  deck,  and  her  tears  were  soon 
wiped  away ;  smiles  came  back  to  her  rosy  lips,  as  she 
listened  to  Mr.  Clifford's  attempts  to  cheer  her,  and 
looked  out  at  the  various  objects  of  interest  he  pointed 
out  to  her. 

The  steamer  glided  on  her  course  with  noiseless  speed ; 
the  vessels  in  the  harbor  were  left  behind,  Crancy  Island 
was  passed,  and  her  well-read  companion  had  so  many 
things  to  tell  her,  of  what  had  happened  at  various 
points  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  that  Clare  soon  for- 
got her  own  personal  griefs,  and  laughed  and  talked 
with  all  her  natural  vivacity. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  she  ventured  once  to  refer  to 
Miss  Coyle,  but  he  glanced  around  at  the  other  groups 
of  passengers  scattered  about  the  deck,  and  said,  in  a  low 
voice : 

"  We  will  speak  no  more  of  her  till  you  have  seen  and 


THE    DEPARTURE     FOR    RIVER  DALE.      141 

formed  some  opinion  of  her  yourself.  I  do  not  wish  to 
render  your  intercourse  with  her  unpleasant;  on  the  con- 
trary, if  you  could  win  her  confidence  without  danger  to 
yourself,  I  should  be  glad.  I  will  tell  you  this  much, 
Miss  Desmond  :  I  have  spoken  freely  to  your  father,  and 
told  him  more  than  I  was  willing  to  tell  you,  and  he  is 
quite  satisfied ;  yes,  quite  satisfied,  I  may  safely  say." 

Clare  looked  at  him  as  if  expecting  some  further  ex- 
planation ;  but  as  he  gave  none,  she  was  compelled  to 
rest  contented  with  this  assurance.  It  was  some  comfort 
to  know  that  her  father  had  confidence  in  her  new  friend, 
but  she  could  not  help  wondering  what  it  was  they  con- 
cealed from  her,  and  why  it  should  be  necessary  to  keep 
her  in  the  dark  as  to  what  she  intuitively  felt  deeply 
concerned  herself. 

Later  in  the  day,  Mr.  Clifford  said  : 

"  Your  father  told  me  of  the  young  man  who  has  so 
much  annoyed  and  alarmed  you  lately.  If  Mr.  Spiers 
should  find  out  whither  you  have  been  sent,  and  venture 
to  follow  you  to  renew  his  persecutions,  all  you  have  to 
do  is  to  warn  me  of  the  fact,  and  he  will  be  very  sum- 
marily disposed  of." 

Clare  flushed  painfully,  and  for  a  moment  made  no 
reply.  She  at  length  said  : 

"  It  was  safer,  perhaps,  for  papa  to  tell  you  of  him,  but 
still  it  is  a  mortification  to  me  that  any  one  outside  of 
my  own  family  should  be  aware  of  that  folly.  I  had  no 
feeling  of  regard  for  him,  Mr.  Clifford ;  I  beg  that  you 
will  believe  that,  though  I  was  forced  by  him  to — to — " 

"  I  understand  ;  so  do  not  pain  yourself  by  attempting 
to  explain.  He  is  a  contemptible  villain,  who  should 
be  severely  dealt  with  by  the  law ;  and  but  for  Mr.  Des- 


142       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

raond's  anxiety  to  screen  your  name  from  association 
with  his  in  any  way,  he  would  have  had  him  punished." 

"  It  is  better  as  it  is,"  she  murmured.  "  I  am  going 
where,  I  hope,  he  cannot  find  me ;  and  if  he  does,  he 
will  not  venture  to  approach  me  while  I  am  under  the 
protection  of  Mrs.  Adair." 

"  Perhaps  not.     He  will  be  a  bold  man  if  he  does." 

There  was  silence  for  some  time,  and  then  Mr.  Clif- 
ford, pursuing  the  train  of  thought  in  his  own  mind, 
abruptly  asked : 

"  Have  you  any  idea  that  this  young  man  is  acquainted 
with  Mrs.  Adair's  companion  ?  She  has  knocked  about 
the  world  a  good  deal,  and  such  a  thing  may  be." 

Clare  had  become  absorbed  in  watching  the  scenery 
on  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  she  was  startled  from  her 
reverie  by  his  words. 

"  I — I  do  not  know.  Mr.  Spiers  has  wandered  about 
the  world,  and  been  to  many  strange  places  too.  My 
acquaintance  with  him  has  not  been  of  long  duration, 
and  I  know  nothing  about  his  friends.  This  young  lady 
may  be  one  of  them,  but  I  scarcely  think  it  probable." 

"  I  would  give  a  great  deal  to  know ;  but  if  it  is  so,  I 
will  find  it  out.  I  think  I  should  make  a  first-class  de- 
tective, Miss  Desmond,  for  I  can  piece  things  together 
in  a  marvellous  manner  sometimes." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  you  are  rather  a  dangerous  person, 
Mr.  Clifford,"  said  Clare,  with  a  slight  laugh.  "  Pray 
do  not  use  your  powers  on  me,  for  the  idea  of  having  my 
actions  observed,  and  my  motives  scanned,  might  drive 
me  to  do  something  questionable,  even  if  no  other  temp- 
tation was  offered." 

He  recalled  her  words  afterward,  but  now  he  replied, 
with  a  kindly  smile : 


THE    DEPAETUEE    FOE    EIVEEDALE.     143 

"  You  are  as  transparent^  as  the  day,  Miss  Desmond ; 
therefore  my  acuteness  would  be  thrown  away  on  you. 
Women  often  do  puzzle  me,  for  they  are  not  consistent 
even  in  wickedness.  I  would  give  much  to  be  able  to 
read  Miss  Coyle's  nature  as  clearly  as  I  do  yours.  She 
is  an  enigma  I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  solve." 

"  Perhaps  I  may  be  able  to  assist  you  when  I  get  to 
know  her  well.  Women  understand  each  other,  you 
know,  it  is  said." 

He  shook  his  head  : 

"  She  will  throw  her  spell  over  you,  as  she  does  over 
all  who  come  near  her — for  a  time  at  least.  Why,  when 
she  first  came  to  Riverdale  I  was  half  in  love  with  her 
myself;  but  something — a  mere  trifle — led  me  to  dissect 
her  morally,  and  I  have  made  up  my  mind  that  she  is 
the  most  consummate  actress  living.  She  came  very 
near  '  fooling  me  to  the  top  of  my  bent,'  but  I  found  her 
out  in  time.  She  is  very  deep,  but  she  cannot  always 
have  on  her  armor  of  proof." 

"  I  declare  you  make  me  quite  dread  a  meeting  with 
this  young  lady." 

"  You  may  have  more  cause  to  dread  her  than  you 
know.  But  you  must  not  be  afraid  of  her ;  that  would 
give  you  over  to  her  at  once.  After  all,  she  will  cozen 
you  so  nicely  that  you  will  look  on  me  as  a  suspicious 
ogre,  and  the  charming  Claudia  as  a  defamed  angel.  If 
it  should  be  so,  you  need  not  be  afraid  to  tell  me,  for  I 
would  not  give  you  up  even  for  that.  I  have  promised 
your  father,  you  know,  and  I  begin  to  look  upon  you  as, 
in  some  sort,  my  own  property." 

Clare  regarded  him  with  a  half-startled  glance,  and 
Mr.  Clifford  replied  to  it  with  a  slight  laugh. 


144      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"  I  do  not  put  forward  any  legitimate  claim  to  you, 
my  dear,  but  you  interest  me ;  your  father  lias  given 
you  into  my  charge,  and  I  feel  responsible  to  him  for 
you.  If  you  will  try  to  give  me  a  daughter's  confidence, 
we  shall  get  on  admirably  together,  I  have  no  doubt." 

"  I  promise  to  do  that,"  was  the  earnest  reply.  What 
further  she  might  have  added  was  interrupted  by  the 
sound  of  a  sneering  laugh  close  behind  them.  Both 
turned,  and  saw  an  old  man  standing  within  a  few  feet 
of  them,  apparently  intent  on  a  newspaper  he  held  in 
such  a  position  as  to  screen  his  face  from,  accurate  ob- 
servation. That  his  hair  and  beard  were  nearly  white 
they  plainly  saw,  and  Clare  remembered  that  this  old 
man  had  managed  to  keep  near  herself  and  her  protector 
throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  day. 

Mr.  Clifford  spoke  to  him  a  little  sharply,  but  no 
notice  was  taken  of  him;  and  a  gentleman,  sitting  not 
far  off,  politely  explained  : 

"  I  believe  that  man  is  deaf;  he  has  been  spoken  to 
several  times  to-day,  but  took  no  notice  unless  he  was 
touched.  He  sneers  and  mutters  over  the  contents  of  his 
newspaper,  but  he  does  not  care  to  talk." 

There  was  a  suddeu  chuckle  from  the  person  of  whom 
the  stranger  spoke,  and  in  a  hoarse  tone  he  cried  out,  as 
he  rattled  his  paper : 

"  The  fools,  the  fools !  They  think  to  have  every- 
thing their  own  way !  Was  there  ever  such  a  gullible 
people  as  we  who  pretend  to  be  the  masters  of  our  own 
destiny?" 

Having  spoken  thus,  he  abruptly  walked  away,  and 
Mr.  Clifford  came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  some 
half-demented  politician  ;  but  Clare  felt  a  vague  sense  of 


THE  DEPABTUEE  FOR  EIVERDALE.   145 

uneasiness,  for  some  electric  repulsion  told  her  dimly 
that  an  enemy  had  been  near  her  in  that  strange-looking 
old  man. 

Twilight  was  beginning  to  fall  around  them,  and  the 
first  star  gleamed  out  from  the  empyrean,  when  the 
steamer  landed  at  a  small  cluster  of  houses  two  miles 
below  Riverdale.  A  handsome  open  carriage  and  a  bag- 
gage wagon  were  in  waiting,  and  a  middle-aged  negro 
man  came  on  board,  spoke  respectfully  to  Mr.  Clifford, 
and  took  charge  of  Clare's  trunks. 

A  few  moments  later  she  found  herself  rolling  smoothly 
onward  under  the  shadow  of  lofty  trees,  on  her  way  to 
the  formidable  meeting  she  began  to  dread  so  much. 

Mr.  Clifford  had  taken  the  reins  himself,  and  ordered 
the  servants  in  charge  of  the  carriage  to  return  home  in 
the  wagon.  When  they  had  gone  far  enough  away  from 
the  landing  to  be  sure  that  no  one  was  in  sight  or  hear- 
ing, he  checked  the  speed  of  the  horses,  and  turning  to 
her,  said : 

"  You  must  not  allow  what  I  have  told  you  to  make 
you  nervous  when  you  meet  Mrs.  Adair.  She  sets  a 
peculiar  value  on  ease  and  grace  of  deportment,  and  you 
must  practise  self-control  if  you  wish  to  make  a  favorable 
impression  upon  her  at  first  sight." 

"  I  will  do  my  best,  but  my  heart  is  beating  so  fast 
that  I  feel  sometimes  as  if  I  shall  suffocate." 

"Driving  through  this  soft  air  will  enable  you  to 
recover  from  that  before  the  trial  comes.  You  are  quite 
sure  to  please  her  after  she  becomes  acquainted  with  you, 
for  you  have  all  the  gifts  she  most  highly  estimates. 
She  is  a  hard  woman  in  some  respects,  but  she  is  both 
just  and  generous,  and  you  need  not  be  afraid  to  act 
9 


146      A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

out  your  natural  character  in  the  home  to  which  you  are 
going." 

Clare  sighed. 

"  If  there  was  not  so  much  at  stake  for  those  I  love,  I 
would  not  be  so  nervous.  Oh !  Mr.  Clifford,  you  don't 
know  what  it  is  to  feel  that  on  you  depends,  perhaps,  the 
whole  future  prosperity  of  all  who  are  dearest  to  you  on 
earth." 

"  My  dear,  that  is  a  responsibility  which  all  good  men 
are  bound  to  feel ;  but  I  admit  that  it  is  a  heavy  burden 
to  be  laid  on  the  shoulders  of  a  young  girl  like  yourself. 
Let  this  console  you,  however;  whether  Mrs.  Adair 
likes  you  or  not,  she  will  make  a  fair  provision  for  your 
mother.  Mrs.  Desmond  is  her  nearest  relative,  you 
know,  and  the  old  lady  has  too  much  pride  of  race  to 
allow  her  niece  to  live  in  poverty.  Try  to  compose 
yourself;  and  above  all,  do  not  suffer  yourself  to  be 
anxious  about  the  future." 

Clare  sunk  back  upon  her  seat,  and  made  a  successful 
effort  to  control  the  dread  with  which  the  approaching 
interview  inspired  her.  She  could  soon  look  calmly  out 
on  the  winding  road  which  afforded  occasional  glimpses 
of  the  river.  The  full  moon  arose,  and  threw  long, 
tremulous  lines  of  light  upon  the  rippling  water ;  fire- 
flies flitted  to  and  fro,  and  the  whole  woodland  was 
vocal  with  the  insect  life  which  makes  itself  heard  at 
night  in  a  southern  forest. 

The  influence  of  the  hour  and  scene  gradually  calmed 
the  young  girl,  and  when  a  turn  in  the  road  brought 
Riverdale  in  sight,  she  felt  herself  equal  to  the  meeting 
that  awaited  her. 

The  place  stood  in  a  curve  in  the  river;  the  shore 


THE  DEPARTURE  FOR  RIVERDALE.   147 

sloped  gradually  upward  from  the  water's  edge  to  a  wide 
sweep  of  level  ground ;  from  that  there  was  a  second  rise, 
and  on  the  plateau  above  stood  the  ancient  mansion  of 
the  Bcauforts,  with  large  trees  massed  together  at  either 
wing;  these  curved  in  a  half  circle,  leaving  a  wide  open 
space  in  front  of  the  stately-looking  pile. 

The  house  had  been  built  in  imitation  of  a  French 
chateau  by  the  great-grandfather  of  the  present  occupant, 
who  had  emigrated  to  Virginia  on  the  revocation  of  the 
edict  of  Nantes.  Colonel  Beaufort  had  accompanied  the 
small  band  of  Huguenots  who  escaped  from  France,  and 
settled  on  James  river.  He  had  managed  to  bring  with 
him  a  considerable  portion  of  his  wealth  in  the  shape 
of  jewels  which  he  sold  in  England,  and  invested  in 
lands  in  his  new  country. 

His  affairs  prospered  greatly.  He  married  a  rich 
woman ;  built  him  a  home  so  substantial  that  here,  after 
the  lapse  of  more  than  a  century,  it  stood  in  massive 
pride,  as  comfortable  to  live  in  as  when  it  was  first 
erected.  At  each  corner  of  the  building  stood  a  large  cir- 
cular tower,  clothed  to  the  roof  with  ivy,  mingled  with 
the  Virginia  creeper,  now  in  full  bloom,  and  the  long 
wreaths  of  scarlet  flowers  massed  together  in  picturesque 
confusion  around  the  long  narrow  windows  which  gave 
light  to  the  spacious  rooms  within.  The  central  portion 
of  the  house  contained  many  rooms,  opening  from  a  wide 
hall  which  arose  to  the  roof;  from  this  wound  upward  a 
grand  staircase,  with  balusters  of  black  walnut  gro- 
tesquely carved. 

A  modern  iron  fence  enclosed  the  extensive  lawn, 
which  in  places  was  dotted  with  clumps  of  shrubbery 
judiciously  placed,  and  a  hedge  of  English  hawthorn, 


148      A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIX     A     FOETUXE. 

mingled  with  monthly  roses,  grew  within  a  few  feet  of 
the  fence. 

A  wide  gravelled  SM-eep  led  up  to  the  stone  steps  of 
the  portico,  and  on  either  side  of  these  was  a  massive 
pillar,  on  the  top  of  which  a  large  vase  was  placed,  in 
which  grew  oleanders  in  full  bloom.  A  boy  had  been 
stationed  at  the  gate  to  watch  for  the  carriage ;  it  flew 
open  before  them,  and  before  Clare  had  time  to  get  into 
another  nervous  flutter,  the  spirited  horses  dashed  up  to 
the  entrance,  and  she  saw  a  lady  standing  just  beyond  the 
shadow  of  the  oleanders,  with  the  moonlight  falling  over 
her  proudly  poised  head  and  stately  figure.  A  cloud  of 
white  drapery  fell  around  her,  and  Clare  was  almost 
startled  by  the  regal  loveliness  of  this  woman. 

Claudia  Coyle  was  indeed  superbly  beautiful.  Xo 
goddess  in  marble  could  have  surpassed  her  in  regularity 
of  feature  or  gracefulness  of  form  ;  but  those  cold,  impas- 
sive creations  lacked  the  subtle  vital  charm  which  per- 
vaded her  whole  person — speaking  in  her  large,  liquid 
black  eyes,  smiling  in  her  red,  sensuous,  though  exquis- 
itely formed  lips.  Her  hair,  of  a  deep  bronze  hue,  was 
gathered  into  a  knot  at  the  back  of  her  head,  from  which 
long  tendril-like  curls  fell  upon  her  fair  neck.  Her  arms 
were  bare  nearly  to  the  shoulder,  and  a  single  bracelet, 
representing  the  coils  of  a  serpent,  was  wound  several 
times  around  her  left  wrist,  the  head  of  the  reptile  set 
with  glittering  gems,  which  gave  it  a  venomous  and 
almost  lifelike  appearance. 

With  a  slow,  undulating  movement,  which  seemed  to 
Clare  the  perfection  of  grace,  Miss  Coyle  came  forward  to 
welcome  the  stranger. 

In  a  clear  voice,  which  had  a  slight  metallic  sound,  she 
said: 


THE  DEPARTURE  FOR  RIVERDALE.   149 

"Good-evening,  Mr.  Clifford.  You  have  done  your 
devoir  well,  and  brought  us  the  fair  spirit  my  dear  old 
friend  will  be  so  happy  to  receive  into  her  home.  I  need 
no  introduction  to  you,  Miss  Desmond,  for  Mrs.  Adair 
and  I  have  talked  so  much  of  you  that  I  feel  as  if  we 
are  already  acquainted.  I  welcome  you  to  Kiverdale 
as  the  adopted  daughter  of  the  house,  and  its  future 
mistress." 

She  took  Clare's  hand  in  her  firm  white  fingers, 
pressed  it  kindly,  and  stooping  forward  lightly  kissed 
her  brow. 

At  the  first  view  of  this  imperial  woman  Clare  felt 
her  heart  contract,  and  then  a  strange  calmness  came 
over  her,  the  origin  of  which  she  could  never  have 
explained.  She  felt  as  a  man  might  who  has  been 
forced  into  a  duel  against  his  will,  but,  when  the 
supreme  moment  came,  found  courage  to  defend  his 
life  coolly,  even  if  it  must  be  at  the  cost  of  that  of  his 
adversary. 

Clare  felt  as  if  she  was  face  to  face  with  her  destiny 
now,  and  in  her  soul  arose  the  courage  to  hold  her  own 
against  this  fair  incarnation  of  power,  pride  and  guileful 
sweetneas. 

She  submitted  to  the  caress,  and  gently  said : 

"  Thank  you.  I  hope,  indeed,  that  in  you  I  shall 
find  a  true  friend." 

Miss  Coyle  frowned  slightly  at  the  emphasis  the 
speaker  unconsciously  placed  on  the  word  true,  but  with 
a  gay  laugh  she  replied  : 

"Of  course  I  shall  be  true,  though  that  does  not 
matter  much  to  you,  who  are  to  become  the  lady  para- 
mount here." 


150       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

Then  turning  toward  Mr.  Clifford,  she  said,  with  her 
most  fascinating  smile : 

"  I  remembered  your  fondness  for  tea,  and  I  have  a 
cup  of  it  to  offer  you.  You  will  come  in  and  join  us  of 
course.  Mrs.  Adair  is  lying  down,  and  she  will  not  be 
ready  to  receive  Miss  Desmond  for  half  an  hour  yet." 

He  accepted  the  invitation,  and  Miss  Coyle  took 
Clare  by  the  hand  and  led  her  up  the  steps,  as  she  said : 

"  Let  me  enter  the  portal  of  your  future  home  with 
you,  that  some  chance  ray  from  your  good  fortune  may 
fall  on  me.  ( It  is  better  to  be  born  lucky  than  rich,' 
says  the  old  proverb,  and  you  and  I  illustrate  its  truth. 
I  was  the  daughter  of  a  millionaire ;  now — I  am  Mrs. 
Adair's  companion." 

Clare  did  not  complete  the  comparison ;  she  was  too 
much  occupied  with  the  appearance  of  the  beautiful 
home  she  was  assured  by  this  girl  would  some  day  be 
her  own,  to  pay  much  heed  to  what  the  fair  Claudia  was 
saying. 

The  hall  floor  was  paved  with  tiles  made  in  imitt&ion 
of  marble,  and  the  walls  were  covered  with  family  por- 
traits. Among  them  was  Pierre  Beaufort,  the  old 
Huguenot,  who  had  shed  his  blood  for  an  ungrateful 
sovereign,  and  then  fled  from  his  kingdom  to  the  wilds 
of  America,  that  he  might  gain  freedom  to  worship  God 
after  the  convictions  of  his  own  conscience. 

Miss  Coyle  removed  Clare's  bonnet,  and,  placing  it  on 
a  table,  led  the  way  into  a  spacious  room,  lighted  by  a 
chandelier  with  ground  glass  shades. 

In  a  bay-window,  which  had  been  thrown  out  toward 
one  end  of  the  apartment,  was  placed  a  round  table,  set 
for  three  persons. 


CLARE     IN     HER     NEW     HOME.  151 

A  neat-looking  servant  was  in  attendance,  and  in  a 
few  moments  they  were  seated  at  the  table,  and  by  some 
magical  power  exercised  by  Miss  Coyle  the  three  were 
talking  together  as  freely  and  pleasantly  as  if  no  feeling 
of  mistrust  was  in  existence  between  them. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

CLARE'S  RECEPTION  IN  HER  NEW  HOME. 

"TTTHEN  the  repast  was  ended  Miss  Coyle  apologized 

V  V  for  leaving  Mr.  Clifford  and  his  young  charge 
together  a  few  moments,  while  she  went  to  Mrs.  Adair 
and  announced  the  arrival  of  her  niece. 

They  strolled  into  the  hall,  and,  when  out  of  hearing 
of  the  servant,  he  asked  : 

"What  do  you  think  of  her?" 

"  I  never  imagined  any  creature  so  superbly  beautiful 
— and — and  winning,  Mr.  Clifford.  It  seems  to  me  im- 
possible that  she  can  be  what — you  think  her." 

"  I  told  you  you  would  be  charmed ;  but  wait  and  see. 
Don't  let  her  beguile  you  into  anything  that  can  com- 
promise you  with  the  old  lady.  She  wears  her  emblem, 
on  her  arm,  for  she  is  cunning  as  the  serpent,  though  she 
affects  the  mildness  of  the  dove.  There — she  is  coming. 
You  are  quite  calm  now,  my  child.  Don't  let  yourself 
be  fluttered,  and  do  not  mind  anything  the  old  dame 
may  say  to  you.  She  is  eccentric,  but  she  is  kind  at 
heart,  and  she  feels  that  you  have  on  her  the  claim  of 
blood." 


152       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

A  moment  later  Claudia  Coyle  came  from  a  lateral 
hall  which  led  to  the  eastern  wing  of  the  mansion.  She 
passed  her  arm  caressingly  around  the  slender  form 
of  Clare,  and  drew  her  away,  as  she  said  to  Mr. 
Clifford : 

"Good-night.  You  will  see  us  no  more  this  evening. 
Jasper  has  returned  from  his  ride.  I  saw  him  pass  the 
windows  a  moment  ago,  and  he  has  been  anxious  for 
your  return." 

Mr.  Clifford  bowed,  and  turned  toward  the  opposite 
wing,  in  which  his  own  apartment  was  situated. 

As  the  two  girls  moved  down  this  narrower  hall, 
Claudia  said,  in  her  most  honeyed  tone : 

"  I  arranged  to  receive  you  first  myself,  that  you  might 
have  time  to  get  over  the  nervousness  of  a  first  arrival 
among  strangers,  before  seeing  Mrs.  Adair.  She  is  most 
favorably  inclined  toward  you,  and  I  think  she  will  be 
particularly  charmed  by  the  ingenuous  sweetness  that 
beams  from  every  feature  in  your  face.  Everybody  tells 
me  that  I  am  handsome  as  Cleopatra ;  but  as  I  sat  look- 
ing at  you  at  supper,  just  now,  I  could  only  compare 
myself  to  a  garish  tropical  flower,  and  you  to  a  sweet  moss 
rose  just  peeping  from  its  shelter  into  the  outside  world 
— that  hard,  hard  world  with  which  I  have  had  so  bitter 
a  struggle,  but  which  to  you  presents  only  its  fairest 
face." 

"  Pray  do  not  institute  a  comparison  between  you  and 
myself,  Miss  Coyle,  for  I  should  lose  too  much  in  being 
brought  into  contrast  with  so  beautiful  a  woman  as  you 
are.  I,  too,  have  known  hardships,  and  it  is  to  aid  those 
I  love  that  I  am  here.  I  trust  that  Mrs.  Adair  will  at 
at  least  like  me  well  enough  to  enable  me  to  assist  them. 


CLAEE    IN    HER    NEW    HOME.  153 

I  speak  of  this  freely  to  you,  because  you  understand  my 
position  as  well  as  I  do  myself." 

"  Better,  if  you  have  any  doubts  as  to  Mrs.  Adair's 
intention  to  make  you  the  heiress  of  the  bulk  of  her 
estate.  That  is  why  she  sent  for  you,  my  dear.  She 
made  a  condition,  it  is  true,  about  liking  you  ;  but  she 
will  be  sure  to  do  that,  for  she  adores  beauty,  and  you 
are  lovely  enough  to  please  the  most  fastidious  taste." 

"Thank  you;  but  I  could  wish  my  aunt  to  love  me 
for  something  better  than  my  beauty.  I  hope  you  will 
allow  me  to  be  of  some  use  to  her,  as  well  as  yourself. 
I  could  not  bear  to  live  beneath  her  roof,  and  accept  her 
bounty,  without  making  some  return  for  it." 

"  Oh,  that  will  all  arrange  itself.  We  lead  a  very 
pleasant  life  here.  This  is  a  sort  of  liberty  hall,  where 
everybody  does  what  seems  to  them  best.  My  office  of 
companion  is  almost  a  sinecure,  for  Mrs.  Adair  has  her 
favorite  servant  to  wait  on  her,  and  my  duty  is  only  to 
read  to  her  occasionally,  or  to  play  on  the  organ  while 
she  says  her  prayers.  Strange  fancy,  isn't  it,  to  want 
music  while  she  prays  ?  but  she  says  that  in  that  way 
alone  can  she  elevate  her  thoughts  to  the  great  white 
throne  from  which  the  destiny  of  poor  mortals,  is  ful- 
minated." 

"Ah !  I  can  understand  that,  and  I  am  sure  I  shall 
like  my  aunt,"  said  Clare,  with  enthusiasm.  "  The  pro- 
found tones  of  the  organ  move  my  own  soul  more  deeply 
than  any  other  music  to  which  I  have  ever  listened. 
When  I  have  heard  it  finely  played,  I  have  felt  as  if  the 
angels  were  descending  on  the  waves  of  sound,  inspiring 
each  listening  spirit  with  a  deeper  desire  to  become  as 
pure  in  heart  as  the  white-robed  messengers  of  grace 
themselves." 


154       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

Claudia's  lip  curled  slightly  as  she  listened  to  this  out- 
burst, but  she  sweetly  said  : 

"  There  is  one  chord  of  sympathy  at  least  between  you 
and  your  new-found  relative,  and  I  trust,  as  time  pro- 
gresses, many  more  will  be  found.  But  here  we  are  at 
Mrs.  Adair's  door." 

She  tapped  lightly  on  the  panel,  then  opened  it  and 
went  in,  followed  by  Clare. 

The  apartment  was  large  and  elegantly  fitted  up. 
Everything  that  could  gratify  the  eye,  or  contribute  to 
the  comfort  of  its  occupant,  had  been  collected  and  placed 
within  the  narrow  boundary  of  the  suit  of  rooms  appro- 
priated exclusively  to  the  use  of  the  .mistress  of  the 
house;  yet  good  taste  presided  over  the  arrangement, 
and  an  artistic  eye  had  evidently  selected  and  combined 
the  whole. 

A  lamp,  with  a  ground  glass  shade,  stood  on  an  in- 
laid table  placed  against  the  wall,  and  through  the  open 
windows  the  moonlight  streamed  in,  as  if  in  rivalry  with 
its  feeble  imitation. 

A  chair,  covered  with  crimson  velvet,  stood  in  front 
of  one  of  the  windows,  and  in  it  was  seated  a  slender, 
delicate-looking  woman,  dressed  in  a  flowing  purple  robe, 
open  to  the  waist  in  front,  with  folds  of  soft  lace  closed 
at  the  throat  with  a  small  pin,  in  which  was  set  a  soli- 
taire diamond  of  great  beauty  and  marvellous  value.  A 
similar  stone  gleamed  on  one  of  the  fair,  withered-look- 
ing hands  that  lay  carelessly  folded  upon  her  lap. 

Mrs.  Adair  looked  thin  and  frail  as  a  shadow,  but  her 
face  still  retained  much  of  its  proud  beauty,  old  and  in- 
firm as  she  was.  Her  features  were  of  the  aquiline  type ; 
her  eyes  were  still  bright  and  expressive,  and  the  brows 


CLARE    IN     HER     NEW    HOME.  155 

above  them  were  dark  and  well  defined.  Her  hair  was 
perfectly  white,  and  what  struck  Clare  most  was  the 
youthful-looking  head-dress  she  had  adopted,  and  the 
way  it  harmonized  with  her  appearance. 

She  wore  a  square  of  very  fine  lace  upon  her  head, 
with  one  of  the  points  upon  her  forehead,  and  where  it 
was  fastened  there  was  a  rosette  of  the  clearest  rose-pink 
ribbon ;  a  few  folds  of  ribbon  of  the  same  color  were 
mixed  with  her  silver  tresses,  forming  a  unique  but  most 
becoming  coiffure. 

Mrs.  Adair  reminded  her  niece  of  a  picture  of  a  French 
marquise  she  had  seen  in  an  annual  of  her  mother's, 
which  represented  one  of  the  grand  dames  of  the  court 
of  Louis  the  Great. 

Mrs.  Adair  put  up  a  gold  eye-glass,  and  critically  sur- 
veyed her  young  kinswoman  as  she  crossed  the  room. 
She  was  apparently  satisfied  with  the  result  of  her  ex- 
amination, for  she  dropped  her  glass,  and  putting  out 
her  hand,  said : 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  in  the  home  of  your  forefathers, 
Miss  Desmond.  That  you  and  yours  have  been  banished 
from  it  so  long  was  no  fault  of  mine,  though  I  dare  say 
your  parents  do  not  think  so." 

"  I  have  never  heard  them  speak  on  the  subject,  Mrs. 
Adair,  and  therefore  I  cannot  tell  you  what  their  senti- 
ments are.  Allow  me  to  thank  you  for  your  late  kind- 
ness to  my  mother,  and  for  the  invitation  extended  to 
myself  to  visit  you." 

Clare  was  surprised  at  her  own  self-possession,  and  the 
old  lady  seemed  both  pleased  and  annoyed.  She  rather 
curtly  said : 

"  I  am  your  mother's  aunt — your  own  kinswoman  ; 
then  why  do  you  speak  to  me  as  Mrs.  Adair  ?  " 


156       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

"  I  took  my  cue  from  you,  madam.  You  addressed 
me  as  Mtes  Desmond,  and,  of  course,  I  could  not  pre- 
sume to  be  more  familiar  with  you  than  you  were  with  me." 

Mrs.  Adair  uttered  a  shrill  little  laugh. 

"  Well  answered,  by  my  faith  !  I  think  I  shall  like 
you,  Clare  Desmond,  and  I  give  you  leave  to  call  me 
aunt.  You  are  the  third  of  your  race  who  has  given  me 
that  title,  and  you  bear  the  name  of  the  first  ungrateful 
one  who  wounded  my  heart  as  well  as  my  pride  by  the 
marriage  she  made.  You  have  heard  of  that  elopement, 
I  dare  say?" 

"  Yes,  madam ;  and  I  have  also  heard  that  my  grand- 
father was  a  gentleman,  and  a  man  of  high  culture. 
That  being  the  case,  he  could  scarcely  be  considered  a 
low  match  for  even  a  Beaufort." 

"  Oh,  indeed ;  so  you  are  a  democrat  in  your  tenden- 
cies !  That  is  a  matter  of  course,  though,  since  you  are 
the  descendant  of  the  language  master,  and  the  daughter 
of  an  Irishman  who  came  to  this  country  to  better  his 
fortunes.  He  has  not  done  it,  though ;  so  much  the 
worse  for  him." 

Clare's  heart  swelled  at  this  attack  upon  her  father, 
and  with  some  effort  she  repressed  the  words  that  arose 
to  her  lips.  This  old  lady  was  to  be  conciliated  at  any 
cost  to  herself,  she  thought;  so  she  stood  silent  before  the 
keen  eyes  that  were  bent  upon  her  flushed  face. 

In  a  more  conciliating  tone,  Mrs.  Adair  said  : 

"Draw  up  that  chair  in  front  of  me,  and  sit  down 
where  I  can  see  you  in  the  moonlight.  Nothing  makes 
a  fair  woman  look  so  lovely  as  the  soft  shimmer  of  the 
Queen  of  Night,  as  the  poets  call  that  frozen  mass  up 
yonder,  if  astronomers  are  to  be  relied  on." 


CLARE     IN     HER     NEW     HOME.  157 

Clare  silently  obeyed  her,  and  after  another  searching 
gaze  at  the  bright,  ingenuous  face,  she  went  on : 

"It  is  pleasant  to  see  anything  so  young  and  fresh  as 
you  are,  Clare.  J  see  that  you  know  when  to  speak, 
and  when  to  be  silent.  I  was  rather  hard  on  your  father 
just  now,  but  I  must  tell  you  that  I  do  not  esteem  him 
the  less  because  he  has  failed  to  secure  the  fortune  he 
hoped  to  win  in  trade.  I  know  that  his  family  is  good, 
and  that  his  early  training  did  not  fit  Mr.  Desmond  for 
a  commercial  man.  If  he  had  turned  his  attention  to 
planting,  things  would  have  been  very  different  with 
him  now." 

"  Thank  you,  dear  aunt,  for  doing  that  much  justice 
to  my  darling  father,"  said  Clare,  impulsively.  "  If  you 
only  knew  him,  you  would  appreciate  him  highly,  I  am 
sure." 

"  Perhaps  so.  I  hope  to  make  his  acquaintance  some 
day;  that  is,  if  I  like  you  as  well  as  I  think  I  shall. 
Claudia,"  turning  to  Miss  Coyle,  "  you  can  go  now ;  I 
wish  to  speak  with  my  niece  in  private.  If  I  should  de- 
sire music  to-night,  I  will  send  Mona  to  let  you  know." 

Claudia  stood  in  a  careless  attitude,  leaning  with  her 
elbow  on  the  low  marble  mantel,  looking  as  serene  as  if 
no  gnawing  care  was  at  her  heart,  for  she  was  most 
anxious  to  effect  her  escape,  that  she  might  meet  one 
who,  she  knew,  was  awaiting  her  in  the  grounds.  She 
bowed  in  reply  to  this  dismissal,  and  glided  from  the 
room  without  speaking. 

Mrs.  Adair's  eyes  followed  her  ^treating  form,  and  as 
the  door  closed  she  said  : 

"  What  a  graceful  creature  that  is!  It  is  a  pleasure 
to  me  to  look  at  her,  for  I  love  beautiful  things." 


158       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"  Yes ;  Miss  Coyle  is  very  lovely,"  said  Clare. 

"  Xo,  my  dear,  not  lovely.  You  are  that;  but  Claudia 
is  regal,  magnificent,  unsurpassed  in  her  peculiar  style. 
She  has  been  with  me  a  year  now,  and  she  is  the  only 
companion  I  have  ever  had  who  exactly  suited  me. 
You  must  learn  to  like  her,  Clare,  for  it  was  she  who 
reminded  me  that  I  owed  a  duty  to  your  mother,  and 
suggested  to  me  the  invitation  I  have  given  you  to  come 
to  me  on  a  visit." 

"  I  hope  I  shall  be  able  to  like  her,  aunt,  since  you 
wish  it.  She  is  certainly  very  attractive,  and  I  ought  to 
be  grateful  to  her  for  inducing  you  to  remember  such 
claims  as  my  mother  has  on  you." 

"How  coldly  you  speak,  child !  I  hope  Mr.  Clifford 
has  not  attempted  to  prejudice  you  against  her.  It  is 
not  fair  in  him  if  he  has,  for  he  was  half  in  love  with 
her  at  one  time,  and  when  she  showed  him  that  there 
was  no  chance  of  success  he  took  a  most  unreasonable 
dislike  to  her." 

Clare  was  at  a  loss  what  reply  to  make,  but  she  finally 
said: 

"  He  told  me  that  he  had  admired  her  very  much,  and 
that  I  would  be  charmed  by  her." 

"  I  am  glad  he  was  generous  enough  to  say  that.  He 
is  my  agent  and  man  of  business,  you  know.  He  is  one 
of  the  unsuccessful  smart  men,  who  are  'Jacks  at  all 
trades,  and  good  at  none;'  yet  I  ought  not  to  say 
that,  for  he  is  an  excellent  manager,  and  as  honorable 
in  his  dealings  as  any  man  can  be.  He  has  tried 
law,  trade  and  heaven  knows  what  besides,  to  settle 
down  at  last  at  Riverdale  as  the  overseer  of  all  my 
affairs." 


CLARE     IX     HER     NEW     HOME.  159 

"  He  was  very  kind  to  me,  and  I  like  him/'  was  the 
reply. 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,  for  I  wish  you  to  " — Mrs.  Adair 
paused  abruptly,  and  then,  smiling  faintly,  said,  "  Here 
I  am  talking  alx>ut  home  affairs,  when  I  detained  you 
here  to  learn  all  about  your  own  family.  I  have  been 
so  utterly  separated  from  your  mother  that  I  really 
know  nothing  certain  about  her  affairs.  I  heard  of  your 
father's  failure  about  the  time  that  a  great  calamity 
happened  to  me  here,  and  until  very  lately  I  wade  no 
effort  to  inform  myself  of  his  actual  position.  You  can 
tell  me  all  I  desire  to  know,  I  suppose,  and  it  is  no  idle 
curiosity  that  prompts  me  to  ask  you  to  let  me  know 
exactly  how  he  is  situated." 

With  much  emotion  Clare  replied  : 

"  You  are  very  good,  aunt,  to  interest  yourself  in  my 
father.  We  have  been  very  poor  of  late,  and  but  for 
my  mother's  hopefulness  things  would  have  gone  very 
badly  with  us.  She  is  one  of  those  women  who  take  for 
their  motto  t  Xever  give  up  the  ship! '  r' 

"  Hum  !  that  is  her  Beaufort  blood.  We  are  a  strong 
race ;  in  some  things  wilful ;  but  the  women  of  the 
family,  at  least,  have  the  true  ring  of  the  metal.  My 
brother  was  not  much  to  boast  of,  but  he  was  spoiled  by 
over-indulgence,  and  my  own  poor  boy  was  an  Adair. 
Pie  inherited  none  of  the  characteristics  of  the  Beau- 
forts." 

"  Except  their  propensity  to  make  unequal  marriages," 
thought  the  young  girl,  with  a  slight  feeling  of  triumph 
that  her  grandmother  had  not  been  the  only  delinquent 
in  the  family. 

With   skilful   questions   Mrs.  Adair  gradually  drew 


160        A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE 

from  Clare  the  history  of  her  father's  difficulties;  and 
when  she  had  finished  the  old  lady  said  : 

"I  had  no  idea  that  your  parents  were  so  much  re- 
duced in  circumstances.  I  heard  that  Mr.  Desmond  had 
saved  a  fragment  of  his  fortune,  and  supposed  that  you 
were  at  least  lifted  above  actual  poverty.  I  see  that  I 
must  do  something  more  for  your  mother ;  the  annuity 
I  offered  her  seems  pitiful  to  me  now.  You  see  I  am 
very  rich,  Clare ;  I  spend  thousands  every  year  merely 
to  gratify  my  aesthetic  tastes;  and  while  I  have  been 
doing  that  one  of  my  own  blood  has  been  wanting  the 
comforts  of  life.  I  am  not  a  mean  woman,  but  I  have 
sometimes  been  a  very  hard-hearted  one,  I  fear." 

"  Do  not  misunderstand  me,  aunt.  We  have  not  been 
in  want.  My  mother  has  some  money  coming  to  her 
every  year,  and  old  Caesar  makes  a  good  gardener. 
Mammy  Dol  is  as  successful  in  raising  poultry  as  she 
used  to  be  in  nursing  children,  and  we  have  three  cows 
to  make  butter  from.  I  gave  music  lessons  in  a  school 
in  Portsmouth,  and  we  managed  not  to  get  in  debt." 

Mrs.  Adair's  lip  curled  slightly,  and  she  said : 

"  What  a  practical  little  woman  you  are,  to  understand 
all  these  details.  I  know  that  the  whole  thing  must 
have  been  a  wretched  travestie  on  life,  to  people  ac- 
customed to  the  refinements  and  ease  that  wealth  affords. 
Your  father,  I  have  been  told,  was  a  man  lavish  in 
expenditure,  and  I  do  not  know  how  he  could  bring 
himself  down  to  such  a  vegetative  state  as  that  you  have 
described." 

"  Necessity  was  his  master,  I  suppose.  Papa  has  not 
been  the  same  man  since  his  misfortunes;  but  he  has 
submitted  to  them  with  as  good  a  grace  as  he  could. 


CLAEE    IX    HEE    NEW    HOME.  161 

Your  letter  was  a  great  joy  to  my  mother,  and  she  bade 
me  say  everything  to  you  that — that  would  prove  to  you 
how  grateful  she  is  for  the  assistance  you  have  rendered 
her." 

"  Well,  well,  you  need  not  trouble  yourself  about  that ; 
I  will  take  it  all  for  granted ;  small  favors  thankfully 
received,  and  so  forth ;  but  I  am  not  satisfied  with  what 
I  have  done  for  her.  It  seems  to  me  pitiful  that  I  gave 
so  little  from  my  abundance  to  my  brother's  grandchild. 
AVhy  did  not  your  mother  write  to  me,  and  tell  me  how 
she  was  situated  ?  " 

Clare  flushed  slightly. 

"  My  parents  are  poor,  but  they  could  not  beg,  and, 
above  all,  not  from  you,  who  had  ignored  their  existence 
even  in  the  days  of  their  prosperity." 

"  There  spoke  the  pride  of  the  Beauforts,  child.  I  do 
not  dislike  either  you  or  your  mother  for  cherishing  that 
feeling  of  independence.  It  proves  the  kinship  that  is 
between  us.  But  after  all,  Annette  Desmond  is  my 
natural  heir,  and  she  has  claims  on  me.  But  I  have 
others  to  consider  as  well,  and  I  am  going  to  make  my 
will  after  I  have  become  better  acquainted  with  you.  I 
have  a  plan  to — " 

She  paused,  and  presently  said,  in  a  tone  of  sudden 
exhaustion : 

"  I  have  talked  too  long.  I  cannot  bear  much,  and  I 
have  been  more  excited  by  our  meeting  than  is  good  for 
me.  Ring  that  bell,  please,  and  my  servant  will  an- 
swer it." 

She  pointed  to  a  silver  bell  on  the  stand  near  her,  and 
the  tinkling  peal  Clare  sounded  upon  it  was  answered  by 
the  appearance  of  a  middle-aged  mulatto,  with  an  intelli- 
10 


162      A    KEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

gent  lace,  and  almost  as  much  grace  and  quietness  of 
movement  as  Claudia  Coyle  herself. 

"  Give  me  my  drops,  Mona,"  said  her  mistress ;  "  but 
first  summon  Lyra  to  show  Miss  Desmond  to  her 
room." 

The  woman  bowed,  and  went  out;  in  a  few  moments 
she  came  back,  accompanied  by  a  young  girl  a  few  shades 
darker  than  herself,  who  made  an  obeisance  to  Mrs. 
Adair,  and  said : 

"  Thank  you,  mistis,  for  lettin*  me  be  Miss  Desmond's 
waitin'  maid." 

"  See  that  you  perform  your  duties  deftly,"  was  the 
reply.  "You  are  to  .sleep  in  Miss  Desmond's  dressing- 
room,  and  be  ready  to  attend  to  her  whenever  she  needs 
you." 

The  girl  made  another  salaam,  and  glanced  furtively 
at  the  young  lady  thus  given  into  her  charge. 

u Good-night,  Clare.  You  have  not  kissed  me  yet; 
come,  my  dear,  and  give  me  the  kiss  of  reconciliation. 
The  feud  is  healed  at  last,  and  I  wish  to  be  friendly  with 
you  and  yours." 

Clare  tenderly  pressed  the  hand  held  out  to  her,  and 
then  kissed  her  on  brow  and  lips. 

"  I  am  glad  I  came,"  she  whispered  ;  "  for  I  hope  that 
I  can  be  a  comfort  to  you.  I  will  write  to  mamma,  and 
tell  her  how  good  you  have  been  to  me." 

"And  tell  her  that  before  long  I  shall  send  for  her 
too,  and  with  her  must  come  husband  and  children.  Go 
now,  dear;  I  am  suffering,  and  must  have  immediate 
attention." 

Her  face  was  suddenly  drawn  with  pain,  she  waved 
Clare  imperiously  away,  and  Mona,  at  a  gesture  from 


CLABE    IX    HER    NEW    HOME.  163 

her,  placed  herself  in  front  of  her  mistress  while  she  said 
to  Lyra,  in  carefully  modulated  tones : 

"Show  the  young  lady  to  her  room  immediately." 

A  lamp  was  burning  on  a  table  near  the  door,  and 
taking  it  up,  the  servant  walked  on  to  the  central  hall, 
and  mounting  the  winding  stairs,  led  the  way  to  a  hand- 
some apartment  in  the  main  building,  which  overlooked 
the  lawn  and  river. 

Like  the  rest  of  the  house,  it  was  lavishly  and  richly 
furnished.  Clare's  trunks  had  been  placed  in  the  adjoin- 
ing dressing-room,  and  with  the  assistance  of  her  new 
maid,  she  unpacked  and  arranged  her  clothing  in  the 
different  receptacles  provided  for  it. 

Then  she  dismissed  the  girl,  and  threw  herself  into  a 
luxurious  chair  beside  the  open  window,  to  think  over 
the  interview  which  had  proved  so  much  more  satisfac- 
tory than  she  had  dared  to  hope.  Clare  believed  that 
she  had  made  a  favorable  impression  on  her  aunt ;  and 
as  to  herself,  she  felt  that  she  could  love  her  very  dearly, 
if  she  was  as  uniformly  kind  as  she  had  been  that 
evening. 

Her  reverie  was  broken  by  the  sound  of  steps  on  the 
lawn  below,  and  looking  cautiously  out,  she  saw  two 
figures  in  the  shadow  thrown  by  the  house.  One  was 
certainly  Claudia  Coyle,  and  the  other  was  as  certainly 
the  deaf  old  man  who  had  acted  so  strangely  on  the  boat 
Clare  uttered  a  slight  exclamation ;  both  looked  up,  and 
the  next  moment  the  man  plunged  into  the  shrubbery, 
and  Miss  Coyle  entered  the  house. 

The  sound  of  the  organ  presently  floated  out  upon  the 
summer  air,  and  Clare  knew  that  her  aunt  was  praying. 
She  knelt,  too,  and  returned  thanks. 


164       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

WHO   CLAUDIA   COYLE   WAS. 

"TTTHEN  Claudia  Coyle  left  Mrs.  Adair's  apartment, 

V  V  she  flitted  around  the  house,  gained  the  shelter 
of  a  mass  of  tall  shrubs  which  grew  near  the  windows 
of  the  room  from  which  she  had  been  dismissed,  and 
stood  listening  to  what  passed  within,  till  the  shrill 
imitation  of  a  whip-poor-will's  cry  became  so  imperative 
that  she  was  forced  to  pay  attention  to  it,  much  as  she 
desired  to  hear  all  that  was  said  between  the  old  lady 
and  her  new  protege. 

While  she  stands  there,  with  head  bent  forward,  lips 
half  apart,  eagerly  listening  to  what  she  thought  might 
nearly  concern  herself,  we  will  give  a  brief  sketch  of 
her  past  life. 

The  daughter  of  an  English  father  and  an  Italian 
mother,  she  had  inherited  the  calculating  hardness  of  one 
race  and  the  subtle,  intriguing  spirit  of  the  other.  Her 
father  was  the  only  son  of  a  wealthy  banker,  who  had 
been  sent  by  him  to  make  the  tour  of  Europe.  In  his 
travels  he  met  with  a  beautiful  ballet-dancer,  and  be- 
came so  deeply  enamored  of  her  that  he  privately  mar- 
ried her,  although  he  knew  that  in  so  doing  he  risked 
losing  his  father's  favor,  and  with  it  the  wealth  which  he 
had  been  educated  to  spend. 

The  elder  Coyle  was  a  hard-working  money  maker, 
who  cared  for  the  elevation  of  his  family  to  the  ranks 
of  the  gentry  more  even  than  he  did  for  his  beloved 
guineas. 


WHO    CLAUDIA     COYLE     WAS.  165 

He  would  have  been  delighted  if  his  son  had  chosen 
some  impoverished  Earl's  daughter,  and  have  lavished 
his  hoards  on  his  titled  daughter-in-law  without  stint; 
but  Leonard  Coyle  knew  that  the  marriage  he  had  made 
would  never  be  forgiven,  and  every  precaution  was  taken 
to  conceal  it  from  his  father. 

He  remained  in  Italy,  and  there  Claudia  was  born. 
His  wife,  who  had  believed  that  in  marrying  the  rich 
Englishman  she  was  securing  a  brilliant  position,  soon 
grew  weary  of  the  secluded  life  she  was  compelled  to 
lead,  and  pined  for  the  triumphs  and  admiration  she  had 
won  as  the  queen  of  the  ballet. 

Leonard  Coyle  realized  that  he  had  "  married  in  haste 
to  repent  at  leisure,"  and  he  was  about  to  take  steps  to 
free  himself  from  the  shackles  that  soon  bore  heavily 
upon  him,  when  he  was  thrown  from  his  horse  and 
killed. 

The  young  widow  was  advised  to  go  to  London,  and 
olaim  from  the  banker  a  suitable  settlement  for  herself 
rind  child.  She  did  so,  to  find  her  claims  repudiated, 
and  admittance  denied  her  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Coyle. 

The  shock  of  his  son's  death  proved  the  death-blow 
of  the  old  man ;  but  when  he  heard  of  the  arrival  of  a 
woman  who  claimed  to  be  the  widow  of  his  son,  and  of  the 
child  she  proclaimed  as  his  legitimate  heiress,  he  rallied 
sufficiently  to  make  a  will,  bequeathing  the  whole  of  his 
large  fortune  to  a  nephew  who  had  been  with  him  for 
many  years  as  cashier  in  his  banking  house. 

Mr.  Leonard  was  a  hard,  grasping  man,  with  a  large 
family  of  his  own,  and  he  thought  himself  very  liberal 
when  he  gave  his  cousin's  Avidow  a  few  hundred  pounds 
as  a  provision  for  herself  and  her  child. 


166       ANEW    WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

Mrs.  Coyle  made  such  efforts  as  were  possible  to  a 
friendless  foreigner  to  secure  something  more  for  her 
daughter;  but  losing  all  hope  of  success,  she  finally 
went  back  to  her  native  laud,  and,  not  unwillingly,  re- 
turned to  the  old  life  which  had  so  many  charms  for  her. 

Until  her  eighth  year,  Claudia  lived  in  the  tinsel  glare 
of  the  footlights.  She  was  taught  to  dance  exquisitely, 
and  she  played  her  part  as  a  fairy  in  many  a  brilliant 
spectacle,  winning  applause  by  her  beauty  and  her  grare- 
ful  movements,  though  she  had  no  dramatic  talent. 

The  cholera  swept  through  Italy,  and  her  mother  fell 
a  victim  to  it.  A  son  of  Mr.  Leonard  happened  to  be 
in  Naples  at  the  time.  He  had  seen  Claudia  on  the 
stage,  and  hearing  her  mother's  story,  he  recognized  her 
as  the  repudiated  heiress  of  the  fortune  which  was  now 
enjoyed  by  his  father's  family.  The  young  man  pos- 
sessed a  keener  sense  of  justice  than  his  father,  and  when 
lie  heard  of  Mrs.  Coyle's  death,  he  sought  out  the  child, 
and  took  her  with  him  to  England. 

His  father  rated  him  for  what  he  called  his  romantic 
folly,  but  he  finally  consented  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the 
little  Claudia  at  a  first-class  boarding-school. 

As  the  girl  grew  older,  she  rebelled  against  the  fetters 
with  which  she  was  bound,  and  in  every  possible  way 
showed  that  the  Bohemian  spirit  she  had  inherited  Mas 
strong  within  her. 

She  hated  her  kindred,  and  accused  them  of  having 
defrauded  her  of  the  wealth  and  position  that  rightfully 
belonged  to  her. 

At  eighteen  years  of  age  she  was  beautiful,  highly 
accomplished,  and  eager  to  enter  the  arena  on  which  she 
hoped  to  win  success,  yet  she  had  no  certainty  as  to  what 


WHO     CLAUDIA    COYLE    WAS.  167 

position  she  was  to  hold.  Education  might  only  have 
been  given  her  to  enable  her  to  gain  her  own  living  by 
becoming  a  governess.  How  vehemently  she  recoiled 
from  the  mere  thought  of  such  a  life  no  words  can  ex- 
press. The  gall  of  bitterness  arose  in  her  soul  as  she 
remembered  that  she  was  a  dependent  on  those  who  pos- 
sessed the  fortune  that  should  have  been  her  own,  and 
she  cherished  no  feeling  of  gratitude  even  to  him  who 
had  rescued  her  from  the  forlorn  position  in  which  she 
had  been  left  by  her  mother's  death. 

Charles  Leonard  had  now  been  married  many  years, 
and  his  wife,  an  amiable,  commonplace  woman,  consented 
to  receive  Miss  Coyle  beneath  her  roof,  and  introduce  her 
into  society.  Leonard  believed  that  her  rare  beauty, 
and  the  promise  of  a  few  thousand  pounds  as  dower, 
would  insure  her  a  suitable  alliance,  and  thus  his  duty  to 
her  would  be  amply  fulfilled. 

Claudia  was  taken  to  his  splendid  mansion,  and 
treated  with  kindness  and  consideration.  She  had  a 
liberal  allowance,  and  her  beauty  was  set  off  by  elegant 
and  tasteful  dress. 

But  she  felt  no  gratitude  for  this.  "They  give  me 
a  moiety  of  what  should  be  my  own;  they  deck  me  in 
expensive  clothing,  hoping  that  I  may  attract  a  lover 
who  can  take  the  burden  off  their  hands,"  was  her  bitter 
thought,  and  with  the  strong  perversity  of  her  nature 
she  resolved  to  disappoint  her  relatives  by  the  choice  she 
would  make. 

The  society  she  met  with  in  her  cousin's  house  was 
composed  of  two  classes:  the  solid  city  men  who  had 
been  the  architects  of  their  own  fortunes,  and  the  more 
aristocratic  associates  of  Charles  Leonard's  high-born  wife. 


168       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FOKTUXE. 

One  of  the  former,  a  man  of  mature  years  and  great 
wealth,  asked  for  Miss  Coyle's  hand  in  marriage ;  and  to 
one  of  the  latter,  a  handsome,  profligate  spendthrift, 
Claudia  gave  her  heart. 

Her  cousin  placed  before  her  all  the  advantages  of  a 
marriage  with  Mr.  Boynton,  and  she  seemingly  acqui- 
esced in  his  views ;  but  three  days  later  she  eloped  with 
Captain  Gordon,  and  for  three  years  lived  a  gay  life  with 
him  at  the  different  gambling  places  in  Europe. 

At  the  end  of  that  time,  Claudia  discovered  that  there 
was  another  wife  in  existence  at  the  time  of  their  mar- 
riage, and  she  left  Gordon  and  embarked  for  the  United 
States. 

It  was  on  that  voyage  she  encountered  John  Spiers, 
and  for  the  first  time  learned  what  it  was  to  love  with  all 
the  passionate  fervor  of  her  southern  temperament. 

She  had  renounced  the  safe  position  offered  her  by  her 
elderly  lover,  for  the  sake  of  Captain  Gordon,  but  it  was 
not  done  purely  for  love.  Many  ambitions  views  entered 
into  her  calculations.  Gordon  was  the  heir  to  a  baron- 
etcy and  an  ample  rent-roll,  and  Claudia  thought  she 
could  afford  to  wait  a  few  years  to  reach  such  a  goal  at 
last.  When  it  became  known  to  her  that,  in  a  drunken 
spree,  he  had  made  a  Scotch  marriage  before  he  met  with 
her,  and  had  pensioned  off  the  woman  with  a  pledge  of 
silence  till  his  uncle  died,  Claudia  quietly  possessed  her- 
self of  some  valuable  jewels  and  a  considerable  sum  of 
money,  and  went  away,  leaving  a  letter  behind  her 
explaining  what  she  had  done,  and  why  she  had  left 
him. 

As  by  this  time  the  pair  had  become  mutually  indif- 
ferent, Gordon  laughed  at  the  escapade  and  its  attendant 


WHO     CLAUDIA     COYLE     WAS  169 

circumstances  as  a  good  joke.  In  her  letter  Claudia 
explained  to  him  that  she  should  make  no  attempt  to 
prosecute  him  for  bigamy  at  that  time,  but  when  he  came 
into  his  inheritance,  she  was  to  be  liberally  paid  to  be 
quiescent,  or  heavy  consequences  would  result  to  himself. 

She  resumed  her  maiden  name,  made  friends  where- 
over  she  appeared,  for  few  could  resist  the  seductive 
beauty  and  gay  good-humor  of  this  woman ;  and  as  long 
as  her  money  lasted,  the  life  she  led  was  a  very  pleasant 
one  to  her. 

Spiers  was  too  poor  to  marry  her,  and  to  the  attain- 
ment of  that  object  both  bent  all  their  thoughts. 

To  be  near  him,  Claudia  answered  the  advertisement 
for  a  companion  to  an  elderly  lady  living  on  James 
river,  in  A^irgiuia.  She  brought  with  her  unimpeacha- 
ble recommendations,  furnished  by  those  who  only  knew 
her  as  an  elegant  and  attractive  woman. 

Mrs.  Adair  was  so  much  charmed  with  her  new  acqui- 
sition, that  if  Claudia  could  have  fallen  into  her  views 
with  regard  to  a  marriage  with  the  son  of  Mr.  Clifford, 
who  she  thought  had  claims  on  her  property,  in  justice, 
if  not  in  law,  the  old  lady  would  have  given  the  whole 
of  her  fortune  to  the  two  at  her  death. 

But  Jasper  Clifford  was  but  twenty — a  dreamer  and  a 
scholar ;  and  a  mutual  repulsion  arose  between  the  two, 
founded  on  the  radical  antagonism  of  their  natures.  But 
even  if  Jasper  had  shown  any  preference  for  her,  Claudia 
would  never  have  dared  to  accept  fortune  on  such  terms ; 
for  the  fierce  jealousy  of  her  lover  was  such,  that  the 
slightest  intimation  of  Mrs.  Adair's  wishes  produced  a 
violent  scene,  and  Spiers  declared  that  he  would  take  her 
life,  and  that  of  her  bridegroom,  if  she  attempted  to  play 


170       A-  NEW    WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

him  false.  He  was  quite  in  earnest  when  he  made  that 
threat,  for  the  mere  thought  of  losing  Claudia  rendered 
him  as  desperate  as  he  had  pretended  to  be  when  he  used 
the  same  strategy  with  Clare  Desmond. 

When  Claudia  heard  of  the  relationship  of  Mrs.  Des- 
mond to  Mrs.  Adair,  she  wrote  to  Spiers  to  find  out  all 
that  was  possible  concerning  the  family.  The  result  of 
what  she  learned  was  the  concoction  of  the  treacherous 
plot  they  had  now  taken  the  first  steps  toward  carrying 
out. 

Disguised  as  an  old  man,  Spiers  had  followed  Clare, 
and  lingered  near  her  on  the  steamer,  overhearing  the 
greater  portion  of  what  passed  between  her  and  Mr. 
Clifford,  though  he  affected  to  be  stone  deaf  to  all  who 
addressed  him.  He  was  now  waiting  under  the  shelter 
of  the  trees  for  the  appearance  of  his  confederate,  and  his 
shrill  signal  became  so  imperative  that  Claudia  felt  com- 
pelled to  leave  her  station  near  the  window  before  the 
conversation  between  Mrs.  Adair  and  bet  niece  came  to 
an  end. 

"  They  have  dropped  the  discussion  of  myself,"  she 
muttered,  "and  the  rest  will  be  but  sentimental  twaddle, 
so  I  might  as  well  go." 

Keeping  in  the  shadow  of  the  shrubbery,  she  moved 
rapidly  toward  the  belt  of  trees  which  curved  around  the 
northern  side  of  the  house.  When  she  gained  their 
shelter,  a  figure  sprang  forward  to  meet  her,  and  clasped 
her  in  his  arms. 

"  My  angel !  my  darling !  my  adored  !  it  seems  an  age 
since  I  met  you.  I  thought  you  never  were  coming. 
Old  money-bags  ought  to  be  asleep  by  this  time,  for  it 
seems  to  me  that  I  have  been  here  an  a^e." 


WHO     CLAUDIA    COYLE    WAS.  171 

He  had  taken  off  his  wig  and  false  whiskers,  and 
Claudia  kissed  him  on  cheek  and  lips  before  she  at- 
tempted to  release  herself  from  his  embrace. 

"  There,"  she  said,  with  a  laugh,  "  I  have  paid  you 
well  for  keeping  you  waiting.  Besides,  it  is  not  late ; 
your  impatience  makes  the  time  seem  long.  I  ought 
really  to  have  stayed  till  our  new  inmate  was  safe  in  her 
own  apartment  before  I  came  here.  I  don't  know  what 
Miss  Desmond  will  think  of  my  unceremonious  desertion." 

"It  doesn't  matter  much  what  she  thinks;  your  brains 
are  fertile  enough,  at  any  rate,  to  find  some  excuse  that 
will  satisfy  such  a  verdant  specimen  as  Clare  Desmond. 
Do  you  know  that  she  has  packed  away  in  her  trunk 
what  she  believes  to  be  the  elixir  of  love,  to  charm  the 
old  lady  into  making  her  her  heiress  ?  But  you  and  I 
know  that  it  is  the  elixir  of  fortune  for  us." 

"  I  am  afraid  she  will  see  no  necessity  for  using  it. 
Mrs.  Adair  was  charmed  by  her  at  first  sight,  and  was 
far  more  gracious  to  her  than  I  had  any  idea  she  would 
prove." 

"Ah-h !  well,  you  may  allow  that  state  of  feeling  to 
continue  for  a  little  while,  but  not  long.  Croasus  likes 
a  new  plaything ;  but  after  the  novelty  wears  off",  your 
turn  comes.  You  must  find  means  to  alienate  the  old 
M-ornan  so  far  as  to  make  her  treat  Clare  with  less  kind- 
ness, though  you  must  be  careful  not  to  endanger  the  in- 
heritance; the  will  must  be  made  in  her  favor,  you  know, 
or  we  are  all  at  sea  again.  The  girl  must  be  made  to 
believe  that  her  interests  are  in  jeopardy,  and  she  is  so 
anxious  to  be  able  to  assist  her  family,  that  she  will  try 
any  nonsense  to  reinstate  herself  in  the  old  woman's 
good  graces." 


172       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

"I  understand  what  is  necessary  to  be  done,"  said 
Claudia,  with  a  sigh.  "  If  it  were  not  for  that  absurd 
fancy  of  Mrs.  Adair's,  to  make  a  match  between  the  two 
to  whom  she  wishes  to  give  her  fortune,  I  think  I  could 
have  won  on  her  till  she  would  have  made  me  her 
heiress.  But  in  her  mind  that  idea  is  fixed  as  fate  itself. 
She  has  a  romantic  notion  in  her  head,  that  the  two  she 
designs  for  each  other  shall  meet  and  fall  in  love  without 
any  intimation  that  they  are  expected  to  do  so." 
"With  what  prospect  of  success,  do  you  think?" 
"It  seems  probable  enough  that  these  two  young 
people  will  take  a  fancy  to  each  other.  I  hate  Jasper, 
but  I  cannot  help  seeing  that  he  is  as  handsome  as  a 
young  Apollo;  and  he  has  just  that  dreamy,  poetic  tem- 
perament which  will  incline  him  to  admire  a  girl  of 
Miss  Desmond's  style  and  talk  sentimental  nonsense  to 
her.  They  will  be  thrown  together  without  restraint,  for 
Mr.  Clifford  understands  Mrs.  Adair's  wishes,  and  of 
course  he  favors  them.  It  would  be  a  miracle  if  these 
young  people,  who  I  know  will  prove  congenial  to  each 
other,  do  not  fall  as  desperately  in  love  as  can  be  desired 
by  those  who  wish  to  make  a  match  between  them." 
Spiers'  brow  clouded,  and  he  viciously  said : 
"  I  wish  that  young  fellow  was  at  the  antipodes. 
But  for  him  and  his  fancied  claims  on  Mrs.  Adair,  you 
would  have  been  sure  of  the  money.  I  almost  think  it 
would  be  expedient  to  put  him  out  of  the  way." 

"  That  would  be  of  no  use  unless  his  father  was  re- 
moved at  the  same  time.  Mr.  Clifford  has  resigned  his 
claims  in  favor  of  his  son  ;  but  if  anything  happened  to 
Jasper  the  old  lady  would  insist  that  he  should  take  the 
young  man's  place.  The  money  her  husband  left  her 


WHO     CLAUDIA     COYLE     WAS.  173 

she  regards  as  of  right  belonging  to  the  Cliffords ; 
she  might  leave  it  to  them,  but  she  has  an  insane 
desire  to  keep  the  bulk  of  the  property  together  and 
bestow  it  on  her  two  proteges,  if  they  will  agree  to 
marry  each  other." 

"  What  would  be  the  result  if  they  refused  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  foresee ;  but  I  think  that  Miss  Desmond 
would  be  sent  back  to  her  parents,  and  the  second  sister 
be  brought  hither  for  trial." 

"That  must  not  be,  for  I  have  no  hold  over  Christine, 
and  she  would  never  be  safe  to  meddle  with.  I  was 
going  to  suggest  to  you  to  give  Clare  a  hint  of  what  is 
expected  of  her,  that  she  might  do  what  almost  any  per- 
verse girl  would — take  an  aversion  to  this  boy.  But  I 
see  plainly  that  it  would  not  do." 

"Even  if  it  would,  I  should  not  dare  to  attempt  it. 
She  and  Mr.  Clifford  are  such  good  friends  that  she 
would  be  sure  to  betray  me;  and  Mrs.  Adair  would 
never  forgive  me  if  she  suspected  that  I  am  trying  to 
undermine  her  plans.  In  fact,  I  think  it  will  be  rather 
amusing  to  further  them,  knowing  as  I  do  that  the  whole 
of  the  actors  are  but  puppets,  the  wires  by  which  they 
are  moved  being  held  in  my  hands." 

"  Ha,  ha ! — yes.  I  should  like  to  change  places  with 
you,  for  the  play  will  be  amusing.  Let  them  fall  in  love 
over  head  and  ears.  It  is  true  I  must  marry  that  girl, 
but  if  she  dies  of  a  broken  heart  the  better  for  you  and 
me ;  the  sooner  we  can  ratify  the  promises  we  have  made 
to  each  other." 

At  this  Claudia's  brow  grew  dark,  and  she  curtly 
said : 

"There  will  be  no  necessity  for  such  a  sacrifice  on 


174       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

your  part.  When  Miss  Desmond  has  used  that  fatal 
mixture  she  will  be  so  much  in  your  power  that  you 
can  exact  from  her  nearly  the  whole  of  her  inheritance, 
as  the  price  of  silence.  You  seem  to  think  only  of 
yourself  in  this  matter ;  but  can  you  not  imagine 
what  my  feelings  would  be,  to  see  you  actually  pledged 
to  any  one  besides  myself?  I  can  see  no  necessity  for 
marrying  her  at  all." 

"  My  dear  Claudia,  it  is  unlike  you  to  let  jealous  feel- 
ing mar  our  plans.  You  know  that  you  alone  possess 
ray  heart;  that  I  would  do  anything,  anything  to  secure 
fortune,  and  with  it  the  power  to  make  you  forever  my 
own.  Clare  would  not  long  be  in  your  way ;  if  she  did 
not  die  of  horror  and  heart-break,  I  could,  aye,  and 
would,  very  soon  put  her  out  of  your  path.  But  I  can 
see  no  way  to  success,  except  by  a  marriage  with  her. 
Mrs.  Adair  has  expressed  to  you  her  positive  intention 
to  bequeath  the  whole  of  her  large  fortune  to  this  young 
girl,  if  she  is  pleased  with  her,  and  you  have  assured  me 
that  she  is." 

Claudia  threw  herself  upon  his  breast  in  a  sudden  im- 
pulse of  passion,  and  cried  out : 

"All  that  is  true,  but  I  shall  die  if  another  wom-iii 
comes  between  us.  I  cannot  bear  it — I  cannot ! " 

"  Calm  yourself,  my  angel,  and  listen  to  me.  If  I  do 
not  secure  power  over  Miss  Desmond  as  my  wife,  her 
friends  would  come  to  her  assistance.  Investigations 
would  be  made  that  might  be  very  damaging  to  me;  but 
if  I  stood  in  the  position  of  her  husband,  don't  you  see 
that  their  hands  would  be  tied  ?  They  will  then  gladly 
hush  up  the  whole-affair,  and  leave  the  girl  to  my  tender 
mercies.  You  can  imagine  what  they  will  be  when  she 
is  once  completely  in  my  power." 


WHO     CLAUDIA     COYLE     WAS.  175 

Claudia  shuddered.  She  presently  looked  up,  and  her 
face  was  white  and  drawn. 

"  This  poor  girl  is  sadly  in  my  way,  but — but  I  wish 
some  less  dreadful  means  could  be  found  to  dispose  of 
her.  She  is  so  young,  so  innocent,  that  I  shrink  from 
the  thought  of  utterly  destroying  her." 

"The  more  innocent,  the  better  fitted  she  is  to  join  the 
angelic  choir,"  said  Spiers,  lightly.  "  You  will  lay  aside 
your  scruples  when  you  see  her  actually  my  wife." 

A  glance  of  flame  flashed  from  the  black  eyes  of  his 
companion,  and  she  moved  several  paces  from  him,  as 
she  spoke  with  intense  bitterness  : 

"  I  do  not  know  why  I  love  you  to  that  degree  that  I 
am  ready  to  risk  everything  for  your  sake.  But  so  it  is, 
and  I  cannot  help  myself.  You  are  right ;  when  I  see 
Clare  Desmond  holding  that  position  toward  you,  the 
tiger  in  me  will  be  aroused,  and  I  shall  be  ready  to  com- 
pass any  means  to  insure  her  destruction.  After  all,  you 
will  only  avenge  on  her  the  fate  she  will  have  given  her 
aunt." 

"Now  you  are  reasonable,  my  darling.  You  know 
that  it  is  for  your  sake  I  do  all  this,  so  you  must  bear 
with  a  little  suffering,  to  make  our  brilliant  and  happy 
future  a  certainty." 

''Little!"  repeated  Claudia,  pressing  her  hand  upon 
her  heart.  "  Every  day,  every  hour  I  know  her  to  be 
with  you  will  be  bitter  anguish  to  me.  Oh,  John,  you 
cannot  understand  how  I  love  you  !  " 

"  I  think  I  can,  Claudia ;  and  if  you  will  reflect,  you 
will  see  that  I  am  giving  you  the  strongest  proof  of  my 
devotion,  by  entering  into  the  plot  you  chiefly  arranged 
yourself.  I  shall  incur  great  danger  for  your  sake ;  for 


176        A    NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

if  discovery  were  made,  I  should  be  the  one  to  suffer 
punishment,  not  you." 

"That  is  true;  and  we  must  risk  nothing.  I  give 
you  up  to  the  heiress  for  a  brief  space ;  but  you  must  not 
falter — you  must  not  be  turned  from  your  purpose  by 
her  beauty  and  sweetness.  Oh,  in  that  event  I  could 
devote  her  to  the  infernal  gods'myself !  " 

She  stood  before  him  pale,  panting,  almost  terrible  in 
her  passionate  emotion.  Spiers  drew  near  her,  took  her 
cold  hand  in  his  own,  and  almost  as  passionately  said  : 

"I  swear  to  keep  faitli  with  you  to  the  letter,  Claudia. 
Give  me  six  weeks  after  the  old  lady  is  safe  in  her  grave ; 
I  will  claim  my  bride,  take  her  away,  force  her  to  make 
a  will  in  my  favor,  and  then  deal  with  her  in  such  a  way 
that  no  suspicion  of  foul  play  shall  fall  on  me.  You  can 
await  me  in  some  foreign  city.  I  will  turn  the  estate 
into  money,  and  with  you  for  my  companion,  seek  and 
find  happiness  under  another  name.  In  our  new  home 
we  shall  be  rich  and  happy." 

He  passed  his  arm  around  her,  and  as  they  walked  to 
and  fro  they  arranged  every  minutiae  of  their  plans. 
Then  he  put  on  his  wig  again,  and  said  : 

"  I  must  get  back  to  the  landing  in  time  for  the  night 
boat.  Write  to  me  under  a  new  name,  for  I  think 
Clifford  will  watch  you  sharply.  Abner  Jonson  will  do 
as  well  as  any,  and  be  sure  to  keep  me  posted  as  to  what 
happens  here." 

"I  shall  certainly  do  that.  Come  with  me  to  the 
door.  The  house  is  quiet,  and  no  one  will  see  you  at 
this  hour.  I  told  Reuben  to  leave  the  front  entrance 
unlocked,  as  I  often  do  when  I  walk  at  night." 

With  some  reluctance  Spiers  complied,  for  he  feared 


CLARE'S   NEW   ADMIRER.  177 

being  seen ;  but  Claudia  believed  that  all  was  safe  till 
she  heard  Clare's  exclamation,  and  looked  up  to  see  her 
white  face  at  the  open  window. 

She  hastily  whispered : 

"  Never  mind ;  I  shall  know  how  to  account  for  your 
presence  here.  Go  now."  And  she  hurriedly  entered 
the  house,  and  sought  her  own  room. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

CLARE'S  NEW  ADMIRER. 

could  not  sleep  for  many  hours.  The  ex- 
V_y  citement  of  the  interview  with  her  aunt  made  her 
nervous,  and  the  last  incident  that  had  happened  afforded 
too  much  food  for  conjecture  to  permit  slumber  to  seal 
her  eyelids  till  after  she  heard  the  great  clock  in  the  hall 
ring  out  the  midnight  hour. 

She  slept  much  later  than  usual  the  next  morning, 
aud  when  she  awoke  she  found  her  new  maid  moving 
noiselessly  to  and  fro,  arranging  everything  for  her  morn- 
ing toilet.  Clare  found  it  very  pleasant  to  be  so  deftly 
waited  on,  and  she  spoke  gently  to  the  girl  when  she  had 
occasion  to  address  her. 

Lyra  was  evidently  taking  the  measure  of  her  new 
mistress,  but  the  decision  she  came  to  was  evidently  favor- 
able. When  Clare  stood  before  her  in  her  pretty  morn- 
ing dress  of  rose-colored  muslin,  with  crimped  ruffles  at 
the  throat  and  wrist,  her  hair  braided  in  shining  bands 
around  her  daintily  set  head,  Lyra  said  : 
11 


178      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"  I  'clar*,  Miss  Desmin,  you's  pretty  as  a  picter.  You 
an't  nothin'  like  Miss  Claudy,  but  I  thinks  you's  a  heap 
nicer'n  she  is." 

Clare's  rosy  lips  dimpled  into  smiles,  but  she  said : 

"You  are  only  trying  to  flatter  me,  Lyra;  for  you 
know  that  I  cannot  for  a  moment  be  compared  to  so 
magnificent  a  woman  as  Miss  Coyle." 

"She's  mighty  grand,  for  sure,  Miss  Clare,  an'  she 
tries  to  be  mighty  sweet,  but  we's  all  glad  that  ole  Miss 
couldn't  made  things  go  atween  she  an'  Mr.  Jasper.  Ef 
she  had,  you'd  never  ha'  been  sent  for ;  an'  we  darkies 
was  mighty  glad  to  find  out  that  one  o'  the  ole  blood 
were  'membered,  an'  was  comin'." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Clare,  much  mystified  by  the  allu- 
sion to  a  person  she  had  never  heard  of  before. 

"Who  is  Mr.  Jasper?" 

"  Goodness !  You  don't  say  as  Mr.  Clifford  never  tole 
you  'bout  his  son?  He's  a  mighty  nice  young  geraplin, 
an'  he's  kin  to  ole  Miss  through  her  husbin.  He  lives 
here  long  of  his  father,  an'  they  has  the  wes'  wing,  as  it's 
called.  Mr.  Jasper  is  a  chimic,  an'  the  tower  room's  full 
of  all  sorts  of  glass  things  twisted  and  turned,  de  Lord 
knows  how  many  strange  ways.  He's  high  larnt,  he  is, 
an'  he's  been  to  collidge  an'  found  out  what  all  them 
things  is  good  for." 

"  I  shall  see  him  at  breakfast,  I  suppose." 

"  I  dunno.  Sometimes  he  has  his'n  took  to  his  room. 
Him  an'  Miss  Claudy  don't  allers  hit  it  off  together. 
Thar  an't  no  love  lost  atween  them  two,  sure  as  you 
live." 

The  silvery  tinkle  of  a  bell  was  heard  from  the  hall 
below,  and  Lyra  interrupted  her  flow  of  gossip  to  say : 


CLARE'S   NEW  ADMIRER.  179 

"  That's  the  breakfis  bell,  an'  ef  you  stops  a  minute 
longer'n  you  ought,  Miss  Coyle'll  take  me  to  task  for 
not  havin'  you  ready  in  time.  She  can't  b'ar  to  wait  for 
anybody,  caze  she  says  the  coffee  an't  fit  for  nothin'  ef 
'tan't  drunk  afore  the  romy  gets  los'.  De  Lord  knows 
what  that  is,  for  /don't." 

"  I  had  better  go  at  once,  then,"  said  her  young  lady, 
laughing.  "I  should  not  like  to  try  Miss  Coyle's  pa- 
tience the  first  morning  I  am  here." 

When  Clare  descended  the  winding  stairs,  she  found 
Claudia  awaiting  her  in  the  hall  below,  looking  fresh 
and  charming,  in  spite  of  her  late  vigils  on  the  previous 
night.  She  cheerfully  said  : 

"  I  summoned  you  a  little  earlier  than  was  necessary, 
for  breakfast  will  not  be  on  the  table  quite  yet.  The 
morning  is  so  lovely,  that  I  wished  you  to  enjoy  it  with 
me  a  few  moments.  Come  out  on  the  portico,  and  see 
how  charming  the  view  is.  I  am  going  to  do  the  honors 
of  your  future  home  to  you,  and  show  you  all  its  beauties." 

Her  voice  was  so  frank,  her  manner  so  winning,  that 
Clare  found  it  impossible  to  resist  their  charm,  though 
she  had  been  harboring  painful  suspicions  of  the  fair 
speaker. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  "  I  am  an  early  riser,  but  I 
lay  awake  so  long  last  night,  that  I  overslept  myself  this 
morning." 

"  You  sat  up  so  long,  you  mean,  for  I  saw  you  at  your 
window  when  I  came  back,  at  eleven  o'clock,  from  a 
late  stroll  I  am  often  in  the  habit  of  taking.  You  must 
have  been  surprised  to  see  me  coming  in  at  that  hour, 
and  you  fancied,  perhaps,  that  I  had  gone  out  to  meet 
the  old  man  who  was  with  me." 


180      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

Clare  flushed  slightly  under  the  steady  gaze  that  was 
bent  on  her,  but  she  quietly  replied : 

"I  have  no  right  to  sit  up  in  judgment  upon  you, 
Miss  Coyle,  and  you  may  be  sure  that  I  had  no  inten- 
tion of  spying  upon  you." 

"  Of  course  not ;  how  could  I  imagine  such  a  thing  ? 
You  sat  at  your  window  dreaming  of  the  fair  future  that 
is  opening  before  you,  and  you  naturally  looked  out 
when  you  heard  some  one  moving  below.  I  understand 
that ;  but  as  you  saw  that  importunate  old  man,  I  think 
it  but  right  to  explain  to  you  how  he  came  to  be  with 
me." 

"  If  you  choose ;  but  I  have  no  wish  to  pry  into  your 
affairs.  You  must  use  your  own  judgment  about  that." 

"  Certainly ;  and  it  tells  me  that  I  must  not  risk  losing 
your  good  opinion  by  allowing  any  mystery  to  hang 
around  my  actions.  I  am  open  as  the  day  myself,  and  I 
cannot  bear  to  be  thought  otherwise  than  perfectly 
straightforward  in  all  my  dealings.  That  old  man  is  a 
pensioner  of  mine,  who  comes  hither  occasionally  to  ask 
such  assistance  as  I  can  render  him.  He  served  me  once 
when  I  needed  a  friend,  and  now,  in  his  need,  I  cannot 
refuse  him  such  trifling  aid  as  I  can  afford  him.  He 
told  me  that  he  came  on  the  same  boat  with  you  yester- 
day, and  he  prowled  about  in  the  grounds  till  I  went  out 
to  walk.  He  came  on  me  just  as  I  was  returning,  and  I 
could  not  get  rid  of  him  till  I  came  on  to  the  house. 
The  truth  is,  he  is  becoming  rather  a  nuisance,  and  I 
have  forbidden  him  to  seek  me  again.  I  begin  to  think 
that  he  is  a  disreputable  old  creature,  who  only  seeks  to 
prey  upon  me,  in  place  of  working  for  his  own  living." 

The  explanation  seemed  simple  enough,  and  Clare,  in 


CLARE'S   NEW   ADMIRER.  181 

her  innocence,  was  glad  to  accept  it.  She  hated  to  think 
evil  of  any  one,  and  this  specious  actress  won  on  her,  in 
spite  of  all  that  Mr.  Clifford  had  said  of  her.  With  a 
smile,  she  replied : 

"I  am  quite  satisfied  with  your  explanation,  Miss 
Coyle,  and  shall  think  no  more  of  your  venerable  friend." 

While  speaking,  they  had  walked  forward  to  the  front 
entrance,  and  Clare  uttered  an  exclamation  of  delight  as 
she  emerged  upon  the  portico.  The  wide,  undulating 
park  stretched  before  her,  with  its  massive  trees,  its  ver- 
dant sward  and  clumps  of  shrubbery,  with  the  river 
rippling  on  its  course  in  the  distance.  The  opposite 
shore  was  dotted  with  villas,  which  gleamed  like  fairy 
palaces  from  the  screen  of  verdure  that  encompassed 
them  ;  forming  altogether  a  scene  of  rare  loveliness.  The 
morning  was  bright  enough  to  suggest  a  dream  of  Ely- 
sium, and  the  birds  were  singing  their  matin  songs  from 
every  tree.  There  was  no  mist  upon  the  water,  and  the 
soft  summer  air  fluttered  the  leaves  in  unison  with  the 
carols  of  the  morning  songsters. 

"  Oh,  how  beautiful  must  life  be  in  such  a  paradise  as 
this !  "  said  Clare.  "  It  seems  like  a  dream  that  I  .am 
here,  and  with  the  prospect  that  all  this  will  some  day 
be  my  own." 

"  I  think  there  is  little  doubt  about  that,  Miss  Des- 
mond— or  rather,  Clare.  Let  me  call  you  by  your  sweet 
name,  and  do  you  call  me  Claudia.  It  sounds  so  formal 
to  address  each  other  as  Miss." 

"  Yes,  it  does,"  said  Clare,  frankly,  "  and  I  am  quite 
willing  to  make  the  change  you  propose ;  though  it  seems 
to  me  that  you  are  much  too  grand  a  person  to  be  spoken 
to  merelv  as  Claudia." 


182       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

Her  companion  laughed  gayly. 

"  Yet  my  name  sounds  very  sweetly  from  your  lips, 
ma  ch&re.  I  am  older  than  you  by  ever  so  many  years, 
it  is  true,  but  I  hope  we  shall  be  friends  and  companions 
nevertheless.  I  hate  formality,  and  I  wish  to  get  on  a 
pleasant  footing  with  you  as  soon  as  possible.  Mrs. 
Adair  will  love  you  all  the  better,  if  she  sees  that  you 
have  some  kindly  feeling  for  me ;  so,  you  see,  the  sooner 
we  are  friends  the  better  for  us  all." 

"  I  hope,  indeed,  that  we  shall  get  on  well  together, 
Claudia ;  there  is  no  reason  why  we  should  not ;  and  if, 
to  like  you,  an  effort  were  even  necessary,  I  would  make 
it  to  please  my  aunt." 

Miss  Coyle  laughed  strangely,  and  the  metallic  ring  in 
her  voice  was  very  perceptible  as  she  said : 

"Oh,  of  course;  everything  must  be  done  to  please 
Mrs.  Adair,  as  that  is  your  cue  just  now.  But  I  hope 
that  I  may  also  win  some  regard  from  you  on  my  own 
account.  I  have  won  many  friends,  and  do  not  despair 
of  yet  enrolling  you  among  them." 

"It  would  be  strange  indeed  if  you  did  not  gain 
friends,  so  beautiful  as  you  are,  so  fascinating  as  Mr. 
Clifford  told  me  you  can  be.  So  far  as  we  two  are  con- 
cerned, I  think  it  more  important  to  me  to  make  you  my 
friend,  than  for  me  to  become  yours ;  though,  if  you  are 
good  to  me,  I  shall  be  sure  to  love  you  very  much." 

"  Good  to  you !  Why  should  I  not  be  ?  for  you  are 
lovely  and  ingenuous.  Besides,  it  is  to  my  interest  to 
treat  you  as  well  as  possible.  The  days  of  my  dear 
old  friend  are  numbered,  and  you  are  the  coming  woman 
in  whose  hands  all  power  here  will  be  left.  You  see  I 
am  quite  frank  in  showing  you  that  I  have  some  interest 


CLARE'S   NEW   ADMIRER.  183 

in  the  relations  we  shall  bear  toward  each  other.  This 
place  is  very  dear  to  me,  and  I  hope  that  when  you  are 
its  mistress  you  will  not  turn  me  from  it  at  once." 

"  Oh  !  I  hope  that  you  are  mistaken  about  my  aunt ; 
but  if  anything  should  happen  to  her,  you  may  be  sure 
that  I  could  not  banish  from  her  roof  one  to  whom  she 
is  so  much  attached." 

"Thank  you.  That  assurance  satisfies  me.  There 
is  the  second  Lell.  Mrs.  Adair  rarely  appears  at  the 
table — never  in  the  morning — and  she  is  unusually 
indisposed  to-day.  I  think  your  coming  excited  her 
too  much." 

'•'  Is  my  aunt  suffering  from  disease,  that  you  speak  of 
her  life  as  so  precarious?" 

"  She  has  a  nervous  affection  that  is  rapidly  under- 
mining her  strength ;  but  she  may  rally,  and  live  for 
years  yet.  I  only  spoke  of  possibilities ;  so  old  a  woman 
as  Mrs.  Adair  cannot  expect  to  have  a  long  lease  of  life 
before  her." 

As  they  entered  the  hall  two  gentlemen  approached 
from  the  opposite  direction,  and  Clare  gazed  with  a 
species  of  fascination  at  the  younger  one,  attracted  by  his 
remarkable  physical  beauty. 

A  tall,  lithe,  graceful  figure,  perfectly  proportioned ;  a 
finely  shaped  head,  well  set  on  the  round  neck,  which 
was  partially  exposed  by  the  open  collar  then  so  much 
worn  by  young  men,  in  imitation  of  the  idol  of  the  day, 
Lord  Byron ;  short  silky  curls  of  blonde  hair,  thrown 
back  from  a  noble  brow  on  which  time  nor  care  had  yet 
imprinted  a  line;  deep  blue  gray  eyes,  and  a  complexion 
of  marble  fairness,  with  perfectly  moulded  nose,  mouth 
and  chin :  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  find  a  better 


184       A     NEW.   WAY    TO    WIN     A     FOETUNE. 

representative  of  a  young  Autinous  than  Jasper  Clifford 
would  have  made. 

In  spite  of  his  great  beauty,  there  was  nothing  effemi- 
nate in  his  appearance;  his  well-knit  frame  showed 
strength,  and  the  expression  of  his  eyes  and  mouth  de- 
noted both  firmness  and  power.  It  was  easy  to  see  that, 
in  full  maturity,  he  would  be  a  grand  and  self-poised 
man,  capable  of  erecting  a  high  standard  for  himself, 
and  coming  up  to  it  in  spite  of  every  drawback.  He 
came  forward  with  a  smile  which  Clare  thought  very 
winning,  and  was  presented  to  her  by  his  father. 

"  This  is  my  son  Jasper,  Miss  Desmond.  I  did  not 
mention  him  to  you,  because  I  always  \yish  him  to  make 
his  own  way  without  praise  from  me ;  and  I  am  such  a 
doting  old  father  that  I  could  not  have  named  him 
without  trying  to  prejudice  you  in  his  favor  before 
seeing  him.  I  hope  you  will  like  each  other,  and  I 
think  you  will." 

Clare  bowed,  and  involuntarily  extended  her  hand, 
over  which  Jasper  bent  his  head,  though  he  only  took 
the  tips  of  the  delicate  fingers  in  his  own. 

Miss  Coyle's  lip  curled  slightly,  and  before  either 
could  speak  she  said  : 

"Of  course  they  will  like  each  other.  Two  so  formed 
by  nature  to  agree  must  soon  discover  how  congenial 
they  are.  Fate  sometimes  works  in  the  dark ;  but  in 
this  instance  its  purpose  is  plain  as  daylight." 

Clare  flushed  crimson;  Jasper  frowned, and  cast  a  look 
of  aversion  toward  Miss  Coyle;  and  Mr.  Clifford's  dark 
eyes  flashed  indignantly  at  her  as  he  icily  said : 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  you  aspire  to  the  part  of  an 
oracle,  Miss  Claudia ;  but  if  you  are  inspired,  I  think  it 


c LAKE'S    NEW   ADMIRER.  185 

would  have  been  in  better  taste  to  withhold  your  vati- 
cinations till  they  were  asked  for." 

"Why,  how  seriously  you  take  my  nonsense,  Mr. 
Clifford!  One  would  think  that  I  have  committed  some 
grave  breach  of  propriety,  when  I  was  only  thoughtless 
enough  to  express  my  conviction  that  your  son  and  my 
young  friend  here  are  affinities.  If  they  have  not  studied 
Swedenborg,  they  will  not  know  what  that  means,  so  no 
harm  will  be  done." 

"If  no  harm  was  meant,  it  does  not  matter,"  said 
Mr.  Clifford,  significantly.  He  lowered  his  voice,  as  he 
walked  beside  her  toward  the  breakfast-room,  and  ear- 
nestly went  on : 

"You  know  Mrs.  Adair's  wishes  with  reference  to 
these  two,  and  yet  you  are  taking  the  very  plan  to  defeat 
them.  It  was  you  who  suggested  that  Clare  should  be 
brought  hither,  that  the  old  lady  may  have  a  chance  to 
gratify  the  mania  of  keeping  the  estate  together,  by  pro- 
moting a  marriage  between  the  two  to  whom  she  wishes 
to  give  it.  I  trust  that  you  are  not  playing  a  double 
part,  MissCoyle?" 

Claudia  inwardly  raged,  but  she  retained  perfect  out- 
ward composure,  and  deprecatingly  said  : 

"  I  spoke  impulsively,  for  I  was  struck  with  the 
fitness  of  the  union  Mrs.  Adair  has  set  her  heart  on ! 
Mrs.  Adair  thinks  she  has  not  long  to  live,  and  she 
is  naturally  anxious  to  have  this  affair  settled  before  her 
death." 

Mr.  Clifford  cast  on  her  a  piercing  glance  : 

"Do  you  think  her  in  greater  danger  than  she  has 
been  for  years  past  ?  " 

"She    is    older   and    weaker,  and   she   is   subject    to 


186       A    NEW    WAY     TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

strange  attacks ;  she  had  one  last  night  after  Miss  Des- 
mond left  her.  She  thinks  herself  that  she  will  die  in 
one  of  them." 

"  Mrs.  Adair  has  a  nervous  temperament,  and  she  has 
never  practised  self-control ;  that  is  the  secret  of  her 
spasmodic  attacks.  I  have  made  a  particular  study  of 
her  case,  and  I  think,  with  proper  care,  she  may  live 
several  years  yet." 

"  I  hope  so,  indeed,"  said  the  fair  hypocrite,  as  they 
entered  the  breakfast  room. 

The  table  was  placed  near  the  large  window,  and  the 
fresh  morning  air  was  wafted  in,  accompanied  by  the 
blithe  chatter  of  the  birds  which  built  their  nests  in  the 
trees  that  shaded  it.  The  table  was  exquisitely  set,  and 
a  large  bouquet  of  freshly  gathered  flowers  stood  in  a 
vase  in  the  centre.  Claudia  took  her  place  behind  the 
coffee  urn,  Mr.  Clifford  sat  opposite  to  her,  and  Jasper 
and  Clare  at  the  sides.  This  arrangement  suited  the 
latter,  as  the  pyramid  of  flowers  formed  a  welcome  screen 
between  them,  and  helped  them  to  recover  from  the  em- 
barrassment Miss  Coyle's  words  had  produced. 

Jasper  regarded  them  as  a  malicious  effort  on  the  part 
of  that  young  lady  to  annoy  him,  for  he  had  not  the 
slightest  suspicion  that  the  future  heiress  had  been 
brought  to  Riverdale  with  a  view  of  making  a  match 
between  her  and  himself. 

At  intervals  he  glanced  furtively  at  Clare  through  the 
flowery  ambush,  and  silently  compared  her  ingenuous 
face  with  that  of  the  scheming  woman  he  had  learned 
to  mistrust,  more  through  intuition  than  through  any 
positive  evidence  of  lack  of  principle  on  her  part. 

Jasper,  with  his  lofty  idealism,  his  high  sense  of  honor, 


CLARE'S   NEW  ADMIRER.  187 

had  little  in  common  with  that  beautiful  syren,  who 
once,  at  the  command  of  her  patroness,  had  made  an 
effort  to  charm  him  into  a  union  that,  to  him,  would  soon 
have  proved  as  fatal  as  that  which  Spiers  now  contem- 
plated with  Clare,  when  his  machinations  placed  her 
utterly  in  his  power. 

Though  Claudia  had  no  preference  for  him,  she  hated 
him  for  his  indifference  to  her  charms,  and  she  now  rev- 
elled in  the  hope  that  his  fate  had  come  to  him  in  the 
shape  of  this  lovely  young  girl,  and  when  he  had  learned 
to  adore  her  as  the  incarnation  of  all  that  is  pure  and 
true  in  woman,  the  proof  of  deadly  crime  should  be 
brought  home  to  her,  and  she,  to  save  herself,  become 
the  prize  of^another  man. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  thoughts,  Claudia  bright- 
ened into  playfulness.  Her  efforts  were  seconded  by 
Mr.  Clifford,  and  gradually  Jasper  and  Clare  joined  in 
the  conversation. 

When  the  meal  was  nearly  over,  a  humming-bird 
fluttered  in  through  the  open  window,  and  regardless  of 
the  presence  of  those  around  the  table,  floated  airily 
about  the  lily  bells  that  crowned  the  bouquet,  plunging 
his  long  beak  first  in  one,  then  into  another,  evidently 
enjoying  his  dainty  repast. 

"What  a  lovely  fairy  it  is !"  exclaimed  Clare.  "I 
wonder  if  it  would  frighten  the  poor  little  thing  to 
death,  if  it  were  made  a  prisoner  for  a  few  moments  ?  " 

Claudia  laughed  unpleasantly. 

"You  must  not  take  liberties  with  this  bird,  my  dear, 
for  it  is  an  especial  pet  of  Jasper's.  He  provides  the 
flowers  for  its  repast,  and  he  has  accustomed  it  to  fly  in, 
in  this  fearless  manner." 


188       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FOETUNE. 

Clare  glanced  shyly  at  the  handsome  head  which  was 
now  lifted  above  the  screen  of  flowers.  Jasper  smiled, 
and  said,  in  reply  to  her  look : 

"  I  should  be  sorry  to  have  Fairywings,  as  I  have 
named  this  pretty  creature,  frightened  away,  for  it  has 
cost  me  much  pains  to  make  him  so  familiar ;  but  if  you 
will  come  to  rny  sanctum  at  any  time  to-day,  Miss  Des- 
mond, I  will  show  you  several  specimens  prepared  by 
myself,  which  are  almost  as  beautiful  as  this  living  one." 

"  I  shall  be  delighted,"  said  Clare,  impulsively.  "  I 
am  by  nature  a  bird-fancier,  though  I  could  never  bear 
to  keep  one  confined  in  a  cage,  except  a  canary.  They 
cannot  live  in  this  climate,  you  know,  unless  they  are 
well  taken  care  of.  I  have  one  at  home,  that  I  left  in 
Christine's  care.  She  is  my  sister,  as  you  perhaps 
know." 

"  If  it  will  afford  you  any  pleasure,  I  will  show  you 
my  collection  at  once.  It  is  not  very  extensive,  but 
there  are  some  pretty  specimens  in  it." 

"I  shall  be  glad  to  go  with  you,  if — if  Miss  Coy le 
will  accompany  me,"  said  Clare,  with  sudden  diffidence. 

"  Oh,  of  course,  and  with  great  pleasure,  for  I  wish  to 
do  the  honors  of  the  house  to  you  in  the  way  that  will 
best  satisfy  you.  Jasper's  den  is  the  most  curious  part 
of  it,  as  you  will  think  when  you  have  seen  it." 

Jasper's  lip  faintly  curled,  but  he  silently  offered  his 
arm  to  Clare,  and  Claudia  followed,  attended  by  Mr. 
Clifford. 


THE   CHEMIST'S   ROOM.  189 

CHAPTER    XV. 

THE  CHEMIST'S  ROOM. 

E  west  wing  of  the  house  corresponded  with  the 
one  in  which  Mrs.  Adair's  apartments  were  situ- 
ated, and  after  turning  into  a  lateral  hall  young  Clifford 
and  his  companions  gained  the  door  of  a  large  room 
simply  fitted  up. 

Fencing-foils  and  a  stand  of  curious  arms  stood  be- 
tween the  two  large  front  windows ;  a  few  proof  engrav- 
ings of  rare  merit  hung  in  plain  frames  against  the  walls, 
and  over  the  mantel  there  was  a  collection  of  pipes  of 
every  possible  shape  and  form. 

A  large  circular  table  covered  with  papers  and  maga- 
zines stood  in  the  centre  of  the  floor,  and  in  a  recess  by 
the  fireplace  was  the  secretary  in  which  Mr.  Clifford  kept 
his  most  important  documents.  A  few  comfortable-look- 
ing chairs,  and  a  large  bookcase  filled  with  a  choice  col- 
lection of  works  on  medicine,  law,  and  general  science, 
completed  the  furnishing. 

Jasper  led  the  way  across  this  room,  and  opened  the 
door  of  what  Miss  Coyle  called  his  den.  It  was  a  tower 
room,  and  circular  in  shape.  In  the  centre  arose  a  pyra- 
mid of  geological  specimens  artistically  arranged,  and 
crowned  by  shells  of  every  variety  accessible  to  him, 
mixed  with  sprays  of  seaweed.  Plain  cases  stood  be- 
tween the  long,  narrow  windows,  filled  with  smaller 
specimens,  but  one  of  them  held  bottles  filled  with  alco- 
hol, in  which  floated  reptiles  of  different  kinds.  On  one 
side  of  this  room  was  a  complete  chemical  apparatus. 


190      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

In  front  of  this  a  glass  case  was  placed,  with  a  miniature 
tree  imbedded  in  the  bottom,  and  on  its  branches  were 
perched  a  score  of  birds,  so  well  preserved  as  to  look 
almost  lifelike. 

A  winding  staircase  built  in  the  thick  wall  led  to  the 
upper  story,  which  was  used  as  a  bedroom  by  Mr.  Clifford 
and  his  son. 

Clare  was  so  much  interested  in  the  shells  and  seaweed 
that  she  forgot  the  object  in  coming  there ;  and  she  re- 
ceived her  first  lesson  in  geology  and  the  wonders  of  the 
deep  from  the  lips  of  Jasper,  before  she  turned  her  atten- 
tion to  the  birds. 

At  length  she  naively  said  : 

"  How  much  you  know,  and  what  an  ignoramus  you 
must  think  me,  Mr.  Clifford !  I  must  try  to  remember 
what  you  have  told  me  about  these  things,  and  to  learn 
something  of  them  myself." 

"  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  aid  you,  Miss  Desmond," 
was  the  reply,  "  but  I  hardly  think  you  will  care  to  pur- 
sue such  dry  details  as  have  interest  for  me.  Your 
accomplishments,  as  is  fitting  to  your  sex,  are  of  a  lighter 
and  more  graceful  order,  and  you  know  much  of  which 
I  am  ignorant,  no  doubt." 

Clare  shook  her  head. 

"  I  know  superficially  such  things  as  are  usually  taught 
girls.  I  am  a  passable  musician,  and  I  am  fond  of 
reading,  but  I  really  should  like  to  know  something  of 
the  wonderful  world  we  live  in ;  and  I  would  like  to 
learn  something  that  would  make  me  useful  in  my  day 
and  generation." 

The  fine  eyes  of  Jasper  beamed  approvingly  upon  her, 
and  Miss  Coyle  satirically  said : 


THE   CHEMIST'S    ROOM.  191 

"  Now  is  your  opportunity  if  you  wish  to  become  a 
female  physician,  Miss  Desmond ;  for  medicine  is  the 
specialty  of  both  Mr.  Clifford  and  his  son.  They  doctor 
the  whole  plantation,  and  successfully  too ;  so  you  can 
put  yourself  in  training  as  soon  as  you  please." 

Clare  flashed  slightly,  but  she  quietly  said  : 

"  I  think  every  woman  should  understand  how  to 
administer  simple  remedies  at  least.  Life  has  often  been 
lost  for  the  lack  of  such  knowledge ;  but  I  have  already 
received  from  my  mother  as  much  training  in  such 
matters  as  is  necessary  to  me.  If  I  trouble  Mr.  Clifford 
to  teach  me  anything,  I  will  first  try  conchology.  With 
this  fine  collection  of  shells,  I  could  soon  learn  a  great 
deal  on  that  subject." 

"  I  hardly  think  Jasper  will  be  so  ungallant  as  to 
think  it  a  trouble  to  teach  so  pretty  a  girl  as  you  any 
lesson  she  may  take  a  fancy  to  learn." 

Jasper  was  amazed  at  the  emphasis;  he  turned  his 
large  luminous  eyes  upon  the  speaker  and  said : 

"  There  is  one  lesson  I  should  like  to  teach  you,  Miss 
Coyle,  and  that  is — " 

He  paused,  and  she  impatiently  asked  : 

"What?  I  did  not  imagine  I  had  anything  to  learn 
from  you." 

Before  he  could  reply,  Mr.  Clifford  broke  in  : 

"  Why  is  it  that  you  two  cannot  meet  without  sparring 
at  each  other?  Come,  Clare,  I  will  show  you  the  hum- 
ming-birds, since  Jasper  seems  to  have  forgotten  all  about 
them." 

Jasper  turned  abruptly  from  Claudia,  and  with  a  light 
laugh  said,  in  reply  to  his  father : 

"  I  think  Miss  Coyle  and  I  will  defer  our  battle  to 


192      A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN     A    FOKTUNE. 

another  time.  It  will  be  our  best  policy  to  pass  over 
slight  grievances  till  we  can  meet  on  a  field  worthy  of 
our  prowess,  and  fight  to  the  death." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that?"  asked  Claudia,  with 
pale  lips.  "We  may  disagree,  but  no  such  cause  of 
quarrel  as  that  can  arise  between  us." 

"  Certainly  not,  if  /  could  have  the  ordering  of  fate," 
was  the  light  reply,  "  but  you  seem  determined  to  drive 
me  to  extremities.  If  you  will  promise  to  cease  wielding 
your  petty  weapons  against  me,  I  will  pledge  myself  to 
keep  the  peace." 

"Here  is  my  hand,  then.     I  ask  a  truce  at  least." 

Jasper  bowed  over  the  hand  .she  extended  to  him,  but 
he  did  not  touch  it,  and  Claudia  was  strongly  tempted  to 
slap  him  on  the  face  with  the  slighted  gage  of  amity. 
But  she  restrained  herself,  and  permitted  him  to  turn 
his  attention  to  Clare,  feeling  in  her  own  mind  the 
triumphant  assurance  that  he  was  already  interested  in 
their  new  inmate,  and  through  her  she  would  yet  avenge 
the  slights  he  had  put  upon  herself. 

Clare  was  charmed  with  the  birds,  and  Jasper  was  as 
evidently  charmed  with  her,  and  when  she  went  away 
with  Miss  Coyle,  she  took  with  her  a  volume  of  Hum- 
boldt's  Cosmos,  declaring  she  intended  to  study  it  care- 
fully. 

"What  do  you  think  of  her?"  asked  Mr.  Clifford,  as 
the  door  closed  on  the  two  visitors. 

"  I  think  she  is  as  natural  and  charming  a  young  girl 
as  can  be  found,"  was  the  reply.  "  I  can  only  regret 
that  she  is  thrown  into  companionship  with  so  heartless 
and  unprincipled  a  woman  as  I  believe  Claudia  Coyle  to 
be.  It  seems  strange  to  me  that  you  cannot  open  Mrs. 


THE   CHEMIST'S   ROOM.  193 

Adair's  eyes  to  the  fact  of  her  duplicity.     You  have  no 
more  faith  in  her  than  I  have,  yet  you  spare  her." 

"  I  spare  her  because  the  time  to  strike  has  not  arrived. 
All  that  I  could  say  now  would  have  no  weight  with  one 
so  infatuated  with  her  as  the  old  lady  is.  We  must  wait 
till  something  can  be  proved  against  her,  and  as  yet  there 
is  nothing  tangible." 

"  Is  it  not  enough  that  she  has  clandestine  meetings  in 
the  park  with  a  lover  who  comes  here  in  disguise  ?  I 
saw  them  together  last  night,  though  I  could  not  get 
near  enough  to  overhear  what  they  were  plotting ;  for 
plotting  they  are,  I  am  sure,  and  against  the  poor  old 
woman  she  pretends  to  be  so  fond  of.  Ever  since 
Claudia  has  been  here,  these  nocturnal  meetings  have 
taken  place  every  month  or  two.  I  have  seen  her  in  his 
arms,  yet  she  made  advances  to  me  in  the  mad  hope  that 
Mrs.  Adair  would  give  the  Avhole  of  her  fortune  jointly 
to  us.  Faugh  !  it  makes  me  sick  to  think  of  her  baseness." 

"My  dear  Jasper,  it  would  do  no  good  to  tell  Mrs. 
Adair  of  those  meetings.  Claudia  would  declare  that 
the  man  is  her  brother,  or  her  cousin — some  one  that 
has  a  claim  of  relationship  upon  her,  and  we  know  too 
little  of  her  antecedents  to  disprove  her  assertions.  The 
end  might  be  that  the  old  lady  would  take  the  man  into 
favor,  and  we  should  have  two  adversaries  to  deal  with 
in  place  of  one." 

"  Better  that,  and  deal  with  them  openly,  than  have 
them  plotting  in  the  dark.  Claudia  desired  this  young 
girl  to  be  brought  here,  but  for  what  purpose  I  cannot 
fathom.  That  she  really  wishes  Clare  Desmond  to 
become  the  heiress  of  the  wealth  she  covets  for  herself, 
I  cannot  believe." 
12 


194      A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

"  Her  conduct  in  that  respect  is  a  puzzle  to  me  too, 
but  it  shall  not  remain  so  long.  I  am  interested  in  Miss 
Desmond,  and  her  family  are  entitled  to  the  greater  por- 
tion of  Mrs.  Adair's  fortune.  Her  father  made  an  un- 
just will,  and  it  is  her  place  to  right  the  wrong  he  did. 
So  far  as  you  and  I  are  concerned,  we  have  very  little 
interest  in  the  disposal  of  her  fortune.  You  are  her 
godson,  and  she  will  give  you  something,  no  doubt,  but 
she  has  entire  control  over  the  money  left  her  by  my 
uncle,  and  she  has  a  fancy  to  keep  the  estate  intact." 

"  I  am  thankful  that  I  have  no  need  of  anything  from 
her,"  said  Jasper.  "  The  small  income  left  me  by  my 
mother,  with  what  you  have  saved,  will  suffice  for  our 
wants  till  I  can  establish  myself  in  some  business  when 
the  time  comes  for  us  to  leave  this  place.  I  do  not  deny 
that  I  shall  regret  giving  up  so  pleasant  a  home,  but  a 
man  with  health  and  energy  can  always  provide  what  is 
necessary  for  himself  and  those  that  are  dependent  upon 
him.  I  linger  here  now  because  Mrs.  Adair  insists  so 
much  upon  it-,  not  with  a  view  to  any  benefit  from  her 
future  liberality.  I  should  hate  myself  if  I  thought  I 
could  be  influenced  by  designs  upon  her  fortune." 

"I  know  that  you  have  no  mercenary  taint  in  your 
nature,  Jasper,  and  I  love  you  all  the  better  for  it.  The 
old  lady  has  an  object  in  view  in  detaining  you  here.  I 
approve  of  it,  though  I  am  pledged  to  her  and  to  myself 
not  to  betray  it  to  you,  for  a  time  at  least.  All  we  have 
to  do  at  present  is  to  watch  over  Clare  Desmond's  inter- 
ests, and  protect  her  from  Miss  Coyle's  machinations." 

His  son  regarded  him  earnestly  a  few  moments,  and 
then  said : 

"  It  is  something  new  for  you  to  be  mysterious,  sir ; 


THE   CHEMIST'S    EOOM.  195 

but  I  suppose  you  are  only  indulging  one  of  Mrs.  Adak-'s 
eccentric  whims.  I  do  not  deny  that  it  is  pleasant  to 
linger  here  for  a  season,  before  I  go  forth  into  the  busy 
world  to  fight  my  battle  with  it.  I  am  with  you  too, 
and  I  can  aid  you  in  the  management  of  this  large 
estate." 

"  Oh,  there  are  plenty  of  excuses  for  keeping  you  with 
me,"  replied  his  father,  laughing.  "  I  must  ride  around 
the  place  now,  and  you  can  look  over  and  arrange  those 
accounts  we  spoke  of  last  night." 

When  Mr.  Clifford  went  away,  Jasper  placed  himself 
in  front  of  the  secretary,  and  made  an  effort  to  absorb  his 
mind  in  the  business  confided  to  him;  but,  for  the  first 
time  in  his  experience,  he  could  not  fix  his  attention 
upon  the  dry  details  necessary  to  the  accomplishment  of 
his  task. 

The  sweet  face,  the  soft  eyes  of  Clare  Desmond  would 
keep  flitting  before  his  mental  vision,  and  her  fresh, 
joyous  voice  seemed  to  ring  perpetually  in  his  ears.  He 
finally  sunk  into  a  reverie,  but  he  presently  abruptly 
roused  himself  from  it,  muttering : 

"  '  What  care  I  how  fair  she  be, 
If  she  be  not  fair  for  me  ? ' 

"/cannot  lift  my  thoughts  to  the  prospective  heiress  of 
Mrs.  Adair's  fortune.  The  old  lady,  doubtless,  has  high 
views  for  her,  for  in  her  day  she  was  the  very  incarnation 
of  pride  and  ambition.  I  wonder  she  cannot  see  how 
imprudent  she  is  to  bring  together  two  young  persons 
like  Clare  and  myself,  lest,  as  that  fair  serpent  said,  we 
should  prove  affinities.  Oh,  Claudia  Coyle,  I  hope  that 
I  shall  be  able  to  unmask  you  yet !  I  dedicate  myself 


196       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

to  the  task,  for  I  cannot  help  believing  that  this  young 
girl  has  been  brought  hither  to  serve  some  purpose  of 
your  own." 

Too  restless  to  remain  within,  Jasper  threw  on  his  hat, 
and  went  out  by  a  side  door  to  stroll  beneath  the  grateful 
shade  of  the  trees. 

In  the  mean  time  Miss  Coyle  had  ascertained  that 
Mrs.  Adair  was  awake,  had  taken  her  breakfast,  and 
now  wished  her  niece  to  come  to  her. 

The  two  went  in  together  to  find  the  old  lady  sitting 
up  in  bed,  her  gray  hair  dressed,  and  the  cap,  with  its 
rose-colored  ribbons,  in  its  proper  place.  A  scarlet  cash- 
mere shawl  was  thrown  over  the  embroidered  wrapper 
she  wore,  and  by  the  dim  light  which  was  permitted  to 
filter  through  the  bowed  shutters  she  looked  handsome 
and  almost  young. 

"  Good-morning,  my  dear,"  she  said  to  Clare.  "  I  had 
a  dreadful  time  of  it  after  you  left  me  last  night ;  but 
luckily  Mr.  Clifford  always  understands  what  is  best  to 
be  done  for  me  in  my  attacks,  and  so  you  see  I  am  alive 

yet." 

"And  likely  to  live  long,  I  hope,  dear  aunt,"  replied 
Clare,  taking  the  hand  extended  to  her;  but  when  she 
would  have  pressed  it  to  her  lips  the  old  lady  drew  her 
face  down  and  kissed  her  on  her  forehead. 

"  There,  my  child  !  An  old  woman's  kiss  may  not  be 
as  acceptable  as  a  young  lover's,  but  sometimes  it  is 
worth  more  to  the  recipient.  Do  you  know,  Clare,  that 
I  find  in  you  something  that  is  eminently  attractive  to 
me  ?  You  must  wear  the  girdle  of  Venus,  child,  for  Mr. 
Clifford  is  as  much  pleased  with  you  as  I  am." 

Clare  flushed  with  delight,  and  she  smilingly  said : 


THE    CHEMIST'S    ROOM.  197 

"  I  am  sure  I  am  very  glad  to  receive  such  appreci- 
ation, aunt ;  but  I  am  only  a  simple,  inexperienced  girl, 
who  has  been  taught  to  measure  her  actions  by  the  Chris- 
tian standard.  My  parents  have  tried  to  make  me  good 
and  true." 

The  expression  of  the  old  lady  changed,  and  she  made 
a  grimace  as  she  replied  : 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  a  prig,  child.  I  hate  cant,  and 
all  that  sounds  mightily  like  it.  How  can  a  baby  like 
you  come  up  to  what  you  call  the  Christian  standard  ? 
I  never  could,  and  I  am  over  seventy  years  old,  and  I 
do  not  think  I  am  a  very  bad  woman  either." 

Clare  was  slightly  abashed  by  this,  but  she  replied 
with  childlike  simplicity : 

"  The  only  rule  given  me  was,  ( Do  as  you  would  be 
done  by.'  I  try  to  practise  it,  aunt,  but  I  hardly  know 
what  a  prig  means." 

"  You  delightful  little  ignoramus,  sit  down  here  by  my 
bed,  and  talk  to  me  while  Claudia  plays  on  the  organ. 
I  generally  say  my  prayers  to  her  music,  but  this  morn- 
ing I  think  I  will  have  a  chat  with  you." 

Claudia  took  the  hint,  though  she  went  into  the  tower 
room  with  a  very  discontented  face. 

"  Close  the  door,"  said  Mrs.  Adair  to  the  woman  in 
attendance  on  her ;  "  we  shall  have  enough  of  it  then : 
and  you  may  go  to  your  breakfast,  Mona.  Miss  Des- 
mond will  remain  with  me." 

When  the  woman  was  gone,  Mrs.  Adair  sat  silent  a 
few  moments,  intently  regarding  the  face  of  her  young 
relation.  At  length  she  said  : 

"  I  hoped  that  you  would  look  like  my  family,  Clare, 
but  I  can  see  nothing  of  them  in  you.  I  am  satisfied 


198       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOETUNE. 

with  your  appearance  though,  for  you  are  very  fair,  and 
you  will  mature  into  a  magnificent  woman.  You  are 
worthy  to  sustain  the  dignity  of  the  Beauforts." 

"  I  am  happy  that  I  please  you,  aunt,"  was  the  mur- 
mured reply,  for  Clare  felt  disconcerted  by  the  steady 
observation  of  those  keen,  dark  eyes. 

"  Well — yes — you  please  me,  as  everything  young  and 
pretty  does.  Youth — youth,  what  a  charm  it  has ! 
There  is  another  incarnation  of  its  power  beneath  this 
roof,  but  Jasper  has  many  good  gifts  aside  from  that. 
You  have  seen  Mr.  Clifford's  son ;  tell  me  frankly  what 
you  think  of  him." 

"  He  is  the  handsomest  person  I  have  ever  seen,  except 
Miss  Coyle,"  said  Clare,  perfectly  unembarrassed,  "and 
I  found  him  very  agreeable.  He  took  us  to  his  room  to 
show  his  birds,  and  he  explained  many  other  things  to 
me  that  I  found  interesting." 

"  Really  !  Well,  that  was  getting  on  pretty  well  for 
him ;  but  jou  must  be  a  strange  girl  if  you  found  any- 
thing in  that  collection  of  rubbish  to  please  you.  It  is 
well  arranged,  I  know,  but  it  tells  me  nothing  that  I 
care  to  know.  I  am  content  to  enjoy  the  beauty  of  the 
world  we  live  on,  without  delving  through  unknown 
ages  to  find  out  how  it  was  produced.  I  wish  you  and 
Jasper  to  become  good  friends ;  but  I  do  not  want  you  to 
addle  your  brains  trying  to  follow  him  in  all  the  idle 
wanderings  of  his  fancy." 

"  But  if  what  the  rocks  tell  us  is  true,  aunt,  should  we 
not  wish  to  understand  what  they  reveal  ?  " 

"  Stuff!  It  is  only  a  theory,  and  it  is  against  the 
Mosaic  account  of  the  creation ;  so  it  will  be  safer  for  you 
to  let  it  alone.  Jasper  is  a  man,  and  he  may  meddle 


THE  CHEMIST'S   ROOM.  199 

with  things  that  would  not  be  safe  for  you.  I  don't 
believe  iu  women  going  beyond  their  sphere ;  to  them 
should  suffice  the  commands  '  to  love  God  and  keep  his 
commandments,  and  to  love  your  neighbor  as  yourself.' " 

"  But  those  commands  were  given  equally  to  men  and 
women,"  said  Clare,  timidly. 

Mrs.  Adair  laughed. 

"  This  is  strange  talk  for  you  and  me  to  fall  into.  I 
know  one  thing — that  if  Eve  tasted  of  the  tree  of  knowl- 
edge first,  when  Adam  followed  her  example  he  gobbled 
up  all  the  rest  of  the  fruit,  and  left  for  her  share  only  the 
certainty  that  she  must  robe  herself  gracefully  or  she 
would  never  find  favor  in  the  sight  of  the  lordly  sex. 
Yet  men  abuse  women  for  their  love  of  dress.  By  the 
way,  my  dear,  that  wrapper  you  have  on  is  exquisitely 
becoming.  I  hope  your  mother  got  for  you  a  blue  silk, 
with  black  lace  trimmings.  That  will  suit  your  style 
better  even  than  pink.  I  know,  for  I  used  to  be  a  con- 
noisseur in  dress." 

Clare  was  glad  to  be  able  to  reply  that  she  owned  a 
dress  which  answered  the  description,  and  Mrs.  Adair, 
with  much  vivacity,  said  : 

"  I  am  glad  to  find  that  Mrs.  Desmond  has  such  good 
taste.  I  shall  came  out  to  dinner  to-day,  and  you  must 
be  in  full  toilet  to  do  honor  to  me.  Wear  your  blue 
silk,  and  with  it  something  else  I  am  going  to  give  you. 
Open  that  cabinet  yonder,  and  bring  me  the  two  jewel 
boxes  you  will  find  there." 

Clare  obeyed,  and  the  old  lady  opened  one  containing 
a  set  of  rose  coral,  exquisitely  designed. 

"  This,"  she  said,  "  will  harmonize  with  your  blue 
dress,  and  you  will  wear  it  with  it.  The  other  is  a 


200      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FOETUNE. 

parure  of  opals,  set  with  brilliants.  Of  course  they  are 
for  full  toilet,  and  they  are  very  handsome.  Don't  look 
at  them  now;  you  can  examine  them  at  your  leisure, 
when  you  go  to  your  own  room." 

The  old  lady  nervously  thrust  the  casket  away  from 
her,  and  silenced  Glare's  thanks  by  saying : 

"  There— that  will  do.  The  sight  of  those  things  has 
made  me  nervous.  Take  them  away,  and  send  Mona  to 
me — no,  I  mean  ring  the  bell  for  her  to  come." 

Clare  obeyed,  and  leaving  the  room,  went  into  the 
hall,  and  sat  down  to  examine  the  beautiful  presents  her 
aunt  had  made  her,  before  she  took  them  up  to  her  own 
room. 

She  uttered  an  exclamation  of  childish  delight  as  the 
opals,  with  their  diamond  setting,  gleamed  out  of  the 
purple  velvet  lining  on  which  they  were  laid.  The 
necklace  was  clasped  with  a  large  stone,  from  the  heart 
of  which  a  flame  seemed  at  intervals  to  flash  up,  and  then 
fade  away,  leaving  the  surface  white  as  pearl,  till  another 
scintillation  came. 

Clare  sat  absorbed  in  reverie,  watching  the  glancing 
light  as  it  lit  up  each  gem,  and  trying  to  remember  what 
she  had  read  of  misfortune  and  the  opal  being  linked 
together,  when  the  voice  of  Claudia  Coyle  spoke  close 
beside  her. 


BLOCKED.        201 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

MISS  COYLE'S  GAME  BLOCKED. 

/"CLAUDIA'S  face  was  smiling,  but  it  changed  slightly 
V-V  as  she  glanced  at  the  open  caskets.  She  exclaimed, 
in-  genuine  surprise : 

"  Is  it  possible  that  Mrs.  Adair  has  given  you  the 
jewels  that  were  purchased  as  a  bridal  gift  for  her 
granddaughter  ?  I  had  no  idea  she  would  ever  bear  to 
see  them  worn  by  any  other  person." 

Clare  involuntarily  pushed  them  away  from  her. 

"  If  they  belonged  to  that  unfortunate  girl,  I  am  sure 
they  will  bring  evil  fortune  to  me,  beautiful  as  they  are," 
she  impetuously  said. 

"  I  should  risk  it,  at  any  rate,"  replied  Claudia,  lightly. 
"  But  what  do  you  know  of  her  for  whom  they  were  de- 
signed ?  Have  you  heard  her  tragic  story  ?  " 

"  Only  that  she  was  drowned  on  the  eve  of  her  mar- 
riage. Poor  girl !  what  a  fate !  and  how  sad  it  was  to 
leave  this  beautiful  home — to  give  up  all  the  joy  and 
hope  of  life  when  it  was  at  its  brightest ! " 

Claudia's  lip  curled,  and  there  was  something  hard  in 
her  voice  as  she  said  : 

"You  would  spare  your  sentimental  pity  if  you  knew 
the  truth.  That  young  girl  had  no  joy  in  life,  and  many 
have  doubted  if  she  did  not  voluntarily  give  it  up,  in 
preference  to  marrying  the  man  her  grandmother  had 
selected  as  her  husband." 

"  Oh,  this  is  terrible ! "  exclaimed  Clare.  "  Was  my 
aunt  so  immovable?  Was  the  man  she  had  chosen  for 


202       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN     A    FORTUNE. 

Laura  so  repulsive  to  her  that — that  she  did  so  wicked 
a  thing  rather  than  marry  him  ? " 

"  Mind,  I  did  not  say  she  did  destroy  herself;  I  only 
repeated  the  surmises  of  others.  You  will  not  think  her 
lover  repulsive,  for  you  know  and  like  him,  and  so  do  I. 
But  Laura  Adair  was  desperately  iu  love  with  another 
man,  and  one  version  of  the  story  is,  that  she  was  escap- 
ing with  him  on  a  stormy  night,  when  the  boat  was 
upset,  and  both  she  and  her  lover  perished.  She  cer- 
tainly did,  for  her  body  was  found  and  buried  in  the 
graveyard  belonging  to  this  place." 

"And  you  say  I  know  the  man  who — who  stood  be- 
tween that  poor  girl  and  happiness.  You  must  be  mis- 
taken, Miss  Coyle.  I  know  no  gentleman  here  except 
Mr.  Clifford  and  his  son." 

"  Precisely — and  it  was  the  elder  man  who  wished  to 
marry  Mrs.  Adair's  heiress ;  he  drove  her  to  destruction 
by  his  persistence,  although  he  must  have  known  that 
Laura  Adair  had  no  love  for  him." 

Clare  regarded  the  speaker  with  dilating  eyes. 

"Are  you  sure  of  this,  Miss  Coyle?  You  were  not 
living  here  at  that  time,  and  you  may  have  been  mis- 
informed. I  scarcely  think  that  Mr.  Clifford  could  act 
as  you  declare  he  did." 

"No,  I  was  not  living  here,  it  is  true,  but  JVIona  told 
me  the  story,  and  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  its  truth. 
Mr.  Clifford  is  a  fair  average  man,  I  suppose,  but  he 
wanted  the  money  and  this  beautiful  home.  Laura 
Adair  was  not  handsome ;  she  was  nearly  thirty,  and  for 
three  years  she  had  insisted  on  marrying  a  man  so  far 
beneath  her  in  social  position  that,  to  save  her,  her 
grandmother  patched  up  an  engagement  between  her 


MISS   COYLE'S   GAME   BLOCKED.      203 

manager,  who  is  her  husband's  nephew,  and  the  rebel- 
lious girl.  You  know  what  the  end  was ;  she  was 
drowned  in  trying  to  effect  her  escape." 

Clare  closed  the  jewel  case,  and  with  a  shudder,  said : 

"  These  are  very  beautiful,  but  if  they  were  purchased 
for  that  poor  girl,  I  am  sure  they  will  bring  evil  to  me. 
It  is  hard  for  me  to  believe  that  my  aunt  or  Mr.  Clifford 
would  either  of  them  have  driven  her  to  such  extremity. 
He  seems  as  kind  and  thoughtful  for  me  as  if  I  were 
his  daughter." 

Claudia  smiled. 

"  He  understands  his  own  interests,  I  fancy.  You  are 
the  probable  heiress  now,  and  to  use  a  vulgar  proverb, 
Mr.  Clifford  knows  'on  which  side  his  bread  is  buttered.' 
Of  course  he  will  try  to  please  you  in  every  possible  way. 
As  to  Mrs.  Adair,  her  one  thought  was  the  salvation  of 
her  last  descendant  from  a  union  with  a  dissipated  and 
worthless  man  whom  she  met  at  a  Northern  watering- 
place.  From  all  I  could  learn  of  her,  Miss  Adair  was 
dull  and  wilful ;  her  grandmother  had  little  comfort  or 
pride  in  her,  and  she  would  have  been  glad  to  see  her 
safely  married  to  her  cousin." 

"  But  if  the  poor  girl  recoiled  from  the  match,  it  was 
cruel  in  both  of  them  to  urge  it  upon  her,"  cried  Clare, 
indignantly.-  "I  should  think  that  remorse  would  haunt 
them  forever." 

Claudia  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  I  have  seen  no  indications  of  any  such  feeling.  Mrs. 
Adair  had  recovered  from  the  shock  before  I  came  here ; 
and  as  to  Mr.  Clifford,  he  is  ready  to  play  the  same  game 
again,  if  he  can  secure  himself  against  expulsion  from 
this  place  when  the  old  lady  dies." 


204      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

Clare  grew  pale  as  death. 

"  You — you  cannot  mean  that — " 

Her  voice  died  away  in  a  husky  murmur. 

"  That  is  exactly  what  I  do  mean.  You  have  been 
brought  hither  to  take  the  place  of  that  drowned  girl, 
on  the  condition  that  you  prove  pliable  in  Mr.  Clifford's 
hands.  If  you  eventually  refuse  to  bear  his  name,  you 
will  be  sent  back  to  your  parents  with  a  trifling  provision 
for  them,  and  left  to  the  obscurity  from  which  he  chiefly 
influenced  the  old  lady  to  draw  you  for  a  season." 

Clare  lifted  her  head,  and  a  faint  flush  came  into  her 
face,  as  she  said : 

"  You  spoke  vaguely  about  bearing  his  name,  Claudia. 
I — I  am  too  young  to  think  of  Mr.  Clifford  as  a  possible 
lover;  and  he  may  be  manoeuvring  in  the  interests  of 
his  son." 

"And  you  think,  for  the  sake  of  this  noble  inheritance, 
that  the  handsome,  ill-tempered  Jasper  might  be  accepted 
as  your  husband  without  too  great  reluctance  on  your 
part.  My  dear,  he  has  no  more  feeling  than  the  stones 
he  is  so  fond  of;  and  if  he  were  to  step  down  from  his 
pedestal,  and  show  any  desire  to  make  himself  agreeable 
to  you,  you  would  see  how  quickly  his  father  would 
interfere.  Mr.  Clifford  makes  a  great  parade  of  affec- 
tion for  his  son,  but  he  intends  to  be  master  of  Riverdale 
himself,  and  if  you  will  not  give  him  the  right  to  it  as 
your  husband,  he  will  find  other  means  to  gain  his 
ends." 

"But — but  does  Mrs.  Adair  understand  and  abet  his 
plans  ?  Can  it  be  true  that  she  has  brought  me  hither 
to  sacrifice  me  to  a  man  old  enough  to  be  my  father  ? 
And  if  I  refuse,  will  she  consign  my  whole  family  to 


MISS   COYLE'S   GAME   BLOCKED.      205 

poverty  again,  after  awakening  in  us  such  hopes  from 
Iier  liberality?" 

"I  am  fond  of  Mrs.  Adair,  but  she  is  a  hard  woman, 
and  a  very  capricious  one.  She  has  taken  a  great  fancy 
to  you,  but  no  one  can  tell  how  long  it  will  last.  If  you 
thwart  her,  she  will  be  quite  capable  of  disappointing  all 
the  hopes  she  has  awakened.  Mr.  Clifford  has  claims 
on  her  property  which  descended  to  him  from  his  uncle, 
though  Mr.  Adair  left  all  he  had  to  the  entire  control  of 
his  wife.  She  cannot  bear  the  idea  of  dividing  the  estate, 
though  she  wishes  to  do  justice  to  the  Cliffords.  In  her 
wisdom,  or  the  lack  of  it,  she  has  devised  a  plan  to  bring 
you  here,  and  make  your  favor  depend  on  your  accept- 
ance of  the  name  of  Clifford." 

Clare  remembered  the  warning  she  had  received 
against  the  speaker,  but  Claudia  spoke  in  so  assured  a 
tone  that  she  could  not  doubt  the  truth  of  her  statements. 
Still  she  mistrusted  her  sincerity  toward  herself,  and 
thought  it  best  to  act  on  the  defensive. 

With  a  faint  smile  she  tried  to  speak  lightly : 

"  The  name  is  a  very  pretty  one,  and  if  it  were  offered 
by  the  son,  I  might  be  induced  to  accept  it.  I  wonder 
it  did  not  occur  to  my  aunt  that  such  a  plan  might  be 
more  easy  of  accomplishment  than  the  one  you  have 
just  disclosed.  I  think  Jasper  has  more  sensibility  than 
you  give  him  credit  for,  and  if  I  set  my  cap  for  him 
his  father  would  for  very  shame  forbear  to  interfere 
between  us." 

"  You  are  charmed  by  his  handsome  person,  as  most 
people  are ;  but  when  you  know  him  as  well  as  I  do,  you 
will  think  his  father  a  safer  match  for  you  than  he  would 
be.  Moreover,  by  encouraging  Jasper,  you  will  risk  the 


206       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

favor  of  Mrs.  Adair.  When  she  has  set  her  heart  on  a 
thing,  she  is  very  tenacious.  If  you  set  yourself  in 
opposition  to  her  wishes,  there  is  no  telling  what  she 
may  do." 

Clare  sat  silent  a  few  moments,  thinking  over  what 
had  passed  between  herself  and  Mr.  Clifford.  She  could 
not  give  up  all  belief  in  him  at  once,  at  the  bidding  of 
the  very  woman  of  whose  arts  he  had  warned  her  to 
beware.  She  finally  said : 

"  It  is  very  painful  to  find  myself  in  such  a  positions 
I  occupy  in  this  house.  I  have  too  little  experience  to 
guide  myself  aright,  so  I  think  the  best  plan  for  me  will 
be  to  drift  with  the  tide,  and  trust  to  Providence  to  bring 
me  to  a  safe  haven.  If  I  can  win  on  my  aunt's  affec- 
tions, I  can  induce  her  to  think  more  of  my  happiness 
than  of  the  disposition  of  money." 

"  That  shows  how  little  you  know  of  Mrs.  Adair.  I 
do  not  think  she  could  rest  quietly  in  her  grave  if  she 
could  know  that  her  estate  was  dismembered  after  her 
death.  She  is  a  monomaniac  on  that  subject.  You  will 
be  the  heiress  of  all  or  of  none.  From  her  personal 
property  she  may  give  your  mother  a  few  thousands  to 
place  her  above  actual  want,  but  you  will  be  disgraced, 
and  get  nothing,  if  you  attempt  to  prove  to  her  that  your 
happiness  is  to  be  considered  before  her  will." 

Clare  suddenly  said : 

"  I  wish,  Miss  Coyle,  that  you  would  not  speak  to  me 
again  of  my  aunt  and  her  peculiarities.  If  I  am  to  get 
on  well  with  her  at  all,  I  must  be  left  to  act  out  my 
natural  character  before  her,  without  fear  of  offending 
against  her  prejudices.  If  I  have  cbnstantly  before  my 
eyes  the  dread  that  I  am  running  counter  to  her  wishes, 
things  cannot  go  smoothly  between  us." 


MISS  COYLE'S   GAME  BLOCKED.      207 

Claudia  felt  that  she  was  baffled,  but  she  earnestly 
said 

"  Pardon  me,  if  my  interest  in  you  led  me  further 
than  perhaps  I  should  have  gone.  I  am  not  partial  to 
the  Cliffords,  because  I  clearly  see  the  game  they  are 
playing.  They  would  do  anything  to  secure  the  posses- 
sion of  this  estate  at  Mrs.  Adair's  death.  When  I  first 
came  hither,  the  old  lady,  as  is  usual  with  her,  took  a 
desperate  fancy  to  me,  and  she  thought  for  a  while  that 
if  a  match  could  be  brought  about  between  Mr.  Clifford 
and  myself,  she  would  set  aside  the  claims  of  her  .own 
relations,  and  settle  her  property  on  us.  He  entered  into 
her  plans,  and  tried  to  carry  them  into  effect,  but  I  could 
not  bring  myself  to  encourage  his  advances." 

Clare  remembered  that  Mr.  Clifford  had  told  her  that 
at  one  time  he  had  been  fascinated  by  Miss  Coyle,  and 
she  naively  said : 

"  I  wonder  you  could  not  fancy  him,  with  such  induce- 
ments too.  He  is  still  a  very  handsome  man,  and  his 
manners  are  excellent." 

"  Yes — many  would  have  been  tempted ;  but  I  had  a 
safeguard  in  my  love  for  another.  I  am  betrothed,  and 
when  my  lover  has  secured  a  fortune  he  has  reason  to 
believe  will  fall  to  him  in  the  next  year  or  two,  I  shall 
go  back  to  my  native  land  with  him  as  his  wife." 

Clare  was  interested,  as  most  young  girls  are  in  a  love 
story,  and  she  said  : 

"  Of  course  you  could  not  be  false  to  your  lover,  even 
to  please  my  aunt.  Is  his  fortune  involved  in  a  lawsuit  ? 
If  it  is,  I  hope  he  will  succeed  in  winning  it." 

"  No.  There  are  two  lives  that  are  in  the  way  at 
present,  but  one  of  them  is  a  very  old  person,  and  the 


208       A     NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

other  is  that  of  a  feeble  girl,  whose  life  is  not  worth  a 
year's  purchase." 

Claudia  found  a  strange  pleasure  in  speaking  thus  to 
the  innocent  victim  who  was  to  be  offered  up  on  the 
shrine  of  her  avaricious  lover. 

Clare  asked  many  questions,  which  she  answered  till 
weary  of  them,  and  she  then  said : 

"  You  have  forgotten  all  about  your  jewels.  That  set 
of  opals  cost  many  thousand  dollars,  and  it  is  well  worth 
taking  care  of.  Come  with  me,  and  I  will  show  you  the 
picture  of  the  girl  for  whom  they  were  purchased  as  a 
bridal  gift." 

"  I  did  not  know  there  was  a  portrait  of  her  here, 
though  I  really  know  very  little  about  anything  here  yet. 
I  shall  be  glad  to  see  the  shadow  of  poor  Laura." 

Miss  Coyle  led  the  way  across  the  hall  and  entered  a 
suit  of  apartments,  two  of  which  were  elegantly  fitted  up 
as  parlor  and  sitting-room;  a  third  one  opened  from 
them,  smaller  in  size,  and  more  plainly  furnished.  Be- 
tween the  two  windows  hung  a  large  frame  covered  with 
a  black  curtain. 

Claudia  threw  open  the  shutters,  swept  aside  the  cur- 
tain, and  Clare  looked  on  the  insignificant,  almost  re- 
pulsive face  of  the  unfortunate  Laura. 

The  artist  had  done  his  best  to  make  a  fine  picture. 
In  the  background  Kiverdale  was  seen,  and  the  heiress 
was  represented  standing  on  the  lawn,  with  a  large  New- 
foundland dog  crouched  at  her  feet.  The  figure  was  well 
posed,  but  it  had  none  of  the  graceful  dignity  for  which 
the  daughters  of  the  Beaufort  race  had  been  so  celebrated. 
It  was  short,  heavy,  and  ill  made,  and  the  head  and  face 
were  iu  keeping  with  it.  The  features  were  coarsely 


MISS   COYLE'S   GAME   BLOCKED.      209 

moulded ;  the  eyes  of  a  pale,  watery  blue,  and  the  hair 
light  flaxen.  The  expression  was  that  of  a  froward,  in- 
tractable child,  though  the  original  could  not  have  been 
less  than  twenty-five  years  old  when  the  portrait  was 
painted. 

When  Clare  had  looked  at  it  a  few  moments,  Miss 
Coyle  asked : 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  man  who  wanted  such  a 
woman  as  that  for  his  wife?  Look  at  that  low  forehead, 
that  silly  mouth.  What  a  life  one  would  lead  with  such 
a  creature  as  that !  " 

"  She  is  not  handsome,  certainly.  She  does  not  re- 
semble any  of  the  portraits  in  the  hall." 

"  No,  indeed.  She  is  like  her  mother,  Mona  says,  and 
she  was  a  girl  Andrew  Adair  picked  up  somewhere  and 
married  in  one  of  his  disreputable  sprees.  He  was  very 
wild,  as  you  have  heard,  perhaps,  and  he  died  young. 
He  left  the  child  to  his  mother,  and  she  accepted  the 
charge." 

"With  the  intense  love  of  beauty  my  aunt  has,  it 
must  have  been  almost  painful  to  her  to  have  that  face 
constantly  near  her.  I  have  rarely  seen  one  that  im- 
pressed me  so  disagreeably." 

"Oh,  her  ugliness  was  the  least  disagreeable  thing 
about  her,  if  I  have  been  truly  informed.  She  was  dull 
almost  to  idiocy,  with  a  violent  and  ungovernable  temper, 
and  she  would  even  make  her  grandmother  tremble  be- 
fore her  at  times.  One  reason  why  Mrs.  Adair  wished 
Mr.  Clifford  to  marry  her  was,  that  he  might  help  to 
keep  her  in  order." 

Claudia  had  turned  her  back  to  the  window,  and  the 
face  of  Jasper,  wearing  a  surprised  expression,  passed 
13 


210       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

across  the  open  space,  and  vanished  almost  as  quickly  as 
it  was  seen. 

Clare  saw  him,  and  she  astutely  thought : 

"  He  overheard  that  assertion,  and  if  it  is  not  true,  he 
will  seek  an  opportunity  to  vindicate  his  father.  I  am 
very  glad  that  Miss  Coyle  did  not  see  him." 

As  can  be  seen,  Claudia  had  changed  her  tactics.  Not 
daring  to  interfere  directly  with  Mrs.  Adair's  plans,  she 
thought  it  safer  to  inspire  the  mind  of  Clare  with  dis-. 
trust  toward  Mr.  Clifford,  and  to  alarm  her  by  repre- 
senting him  as  an  aspirant  to  her  future  favor. 

If  she,  with  the  natural  timidity  of  a  young  girl,  re- 
coiled from  the  paternal  efforts  of  her  elderly  admirer  to 
win  on  her  regard,  Claudia's  purpose  would  be  served  by 
keeping  them  apart;  thus  weakening  the  interest  Mr. 
Clifford  felt  for  the  young  creature  whose  only  safety  lay 
in  the  protection  he  could  afford  her. 

Subtle  as  Catherine  de  Medici,  Claudia's  motto  was, 
"  Divide  and  conquer,"  and  if  she  could  produce  discord 
between  those  three  whose  interest  lay  in  union,  she 
believed  she  could  easily  attain  the  end  for  which  she 
labored. 

Her  further  comments  on  the  person  and  history  of 
Laura  Adair  were  cut  short  by  a  summons  to  read  to  her 
patroness,  and  she  reluctantly  left  Clare  to  her  own 
devices. 

The  walls  of  the  house  were  immensely  thick,  and  all 
the  windows  had  wide,  low  seats  in  them,  many  of  which 
were  cushioned.  Clare  had  taken  a  fancy  to  this  simply 
furnished  room  because  it  reminded  her  of  the  humble 
home  from  which  she  had  so  lately  come,  and  she  sat 
down  in  one  of  the  recesses,  and  again  opened  the  case 


MISS   COYLE'S   GAME   BLOCKED.      211 

containing  the  opals,  and  sat  watching  the  flickering 
shades  of  light  and  color  that  swept  over  them,  thinking 
far  less  of  them  than  of  the  story  of  the  unfortunate  girl 
who  had  been  their  first  possessor. 

Jasper,  who  had  been  wandering  through  the  grounds 
for  the  last  hour,  again  drew  near  the  window,  and  stood 
several  moments  watching  the  bowed  head  and  thought- 
ful face  of  the  young  girl  before  he  ventured  to  speak  to 
her. 

When  he  did,  she  started,  flushed  deeply,  and  then  a 
strange  questioning  expression  came  into  her  eyes,  which 
he  had  quickness  enough  to  understand  and  reply  to. 

"  You  are  pondering  over  the  extraordinary  statement 
I  accidentally  overheard  Miss  Coyle  make  to  you  not 
long  ago.  I  hope  you  will  believe  that  I  had  no  inten- 
tion of  eavesdropping.  I  was  surprised  to  see  these  win- 
dows open,  and  came  toward  them  just  in  time  to  catch  a 
few  words  from  the  fair  Claudia  which  intimately  concern 
the  good  name  of  my  father." 

"Then  it  is  not  true  that  Mr.  Clifford  would  have 
forced  that  poor  girl  to  marry  him,  that  he  might  get  her 
fortune?"  Clare  eagerly  asked.  "Oh,  I  hope  it  is  not 
true  that  the  unhappy  creature  drowned  herself  to  escape 
from  him." 

"  Oh,  what  a  Coyle  is  here ! "  exclaimed  Jasper,  in 
serio-comic  indignation.  "  I  think  my  good  angel,  or 
more  probably  yours,  directed  my  steps  here  this  morn- 
ing, Miss  Desmond.  I  hope  you  believe  my  father  in- 
capable of  such  baseness  as  he  seems  to  have  been  accused 
of  to  you.  I  should  only  need  to  look  in  his  face,  to 
clear  him  from  every  imputation  of  possible  meanness." 

Clare  flushed,  and  timidly  said  : 


212      A     NEW     WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

"Do  not  blame  me  for  listening  to  such  details  of 
family  history  as  must  possess  great  interest  for  me.  I 
— I — did  not  willingly  give  credence  to  many  things 
Miss  Coyle  said  of  your  father.  Indeed — indeed  I 
should  be  very  sorry  to  believe  half  of  them." 

"  Or  the  other  half  either,"  said  Jasper,  dryly.  "  If  it 
will  be  no  breach  of  confidence,  I  should  like  to  hear 
what  new  phase  Miss  Coyle's  romance  concerning  my 
father  has  assumed.  She  has  a  vivid  imagination,  but  I 
think  a  few  prosaic  facts  will  be  better  worth  your  con- 
sideration than  all  the  fiction  the  fair  narrator  has  sup- 
plied you  with." 

The  young  girl  lifted  her  frank  eyes  to  his  face,  and 
said,  in  reply : 

"  I  am  sure  you  will  set  me  right,  Mr.  Clifford,  so  far 
as  your  father  is  concerned,  without  asking  me  to  betray 
to  you  what  has  passed  between  Miss  Coyle  and  myself. 
I  dare  say  you  can  divine  it  without  any  assistance  from 
me,  and  I  had  rather  not  repeat  what  was  intended  for 
myself  alone." 

Jasper  looked  at  her  a  moment  in  silence.  He  was 
thinking  what  a  charming  face  and  head  hers  was,  with 
the  sunlight  flickering  through  the  waving  tree  boughs 
without,  as  if  glad  and  happy  to  throw  its  brightness 
upon  her. 

Clare  colored  vividly,  and  dropped  her  eyes,  as  she 
read  something  of  the  meaning  of  his  glance.  With  a 
faint  smile,  he  replied  : 

"  I  was  wrong,  Miss  Desmond,  to  ask  you  to  do  any- 
thing which  can  violate  your  own  sense  of  honor.  I  can 
easily  divine  what  Claudia  has  been  saying  to  you,  since 
she  brought  you  to  this  room  to  look  at  that  disagreeable 


MISS   COYLE'S   GAME   BLOCKED.      213 

picture.  I  overheard  her  assertion  that  Mrs.  Adair 
wished  my  father  to  marry  my  cousin  Laura,  that  he 
might  help  to  keep  her  in  order.  From  that  clue  I  can 
imagine  the  rest.  She  has  asserted  that  he  was  anxious 
to  make  a  dull,  half-witted  woman  his  wife  for  the  sake 
of  the  wealth  he  covets.  Is  it  not  so  ?  " 

Clare  bent  her  head  in  assent,  but  she  would  not 
speak.  -^k 

"Now  let  me  tell  you  the  plain  truth  Concerning 
Laura  Adair.  She  was  not'  too  young  for  my  father, 
and  the  old  lady  was  most  anxious  to  induce  him  to 
marry  her,  that  she  might  be  saved  from  throwing  her- 
self away  on  a  worthless  adventurer  named  Clifton, 
whom  she  met  while  travelling  at  the  North.  You  see, 
the  similarity  in  the  names  may  have  misled  Miss  Coyle." 

"  Yes — and  your  father  had  nothing  to  do  with  her 
sad  fate,"  was  the  eager  response. 

"  Laura  certainly  did  not  drown  herself  to  escape  from 
him,  because  no  temptation  offered  by  Mrs.  Adair  could 
induce  him,  for  a  moment,  to  think  of  accepting  her 
granddaughter  as  his  wife.  It  was  discovered  that  the 
young  lady  carried  on  a  clandestine  correspondence  with 
Clifton,  and  measures  were  taken  to  buy  him  off.  He 
was  needy ;  he  really  cared  nothing  for  the  poor  girl, 
and  a  few  thousand  dollars  induced  him  to  go  away. 

"  Finding  herself  deserted,  Laura,  after  her  first  rage 
and  grief  were  over,  concluded  to  take  a  husband  of  her 
grandmother's  selection.  As  my  father  would  not  listen 
to  her  arguments  in  favor  of  a  union  between  himself 
and  her  heiress,  Mrs.  Adair  finally  chose  the  son  of  an 
old  friend  of  her  own,  with  whom  she  thought  her  grand- 
daughter would  be  safe. 


214      A     NEW    WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

"  Edgar  Western  was  a  plodding,  easy-tempered  man, 
fond  of  money,  though  not  miserly.  He  had  known 
Miss  Adair  from  childhood,  and  in  his  estimation,  all 
her  defects  were  atoned  for  by  the  fortune  of  which  she 
would  one  day  be  the  mistress.  The  match  was  arranged 
by^the  elders,  and  both  parties  consented.  Preparations 
for  the  wedding  were  commenced,  and  the  bride  elect 
seemed  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  fate  in  store  for  her. 

"  More  than  a  year  had  elapsed  since  Clifton  disap- 
peared, and  no  interference  from  him  was  apprehended. 
But  he  heard  of  what  was  going  on,  came  to  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  found  means  to  send  a  letter  to  Miss 
Adair  asking  her  to  meet  him  once  more  before  she 
became  the  wife  of  another. 

"  On  a  stormy  night  she  went  out  for  that  purpose. 
It  is  supposed  that  he  persuaded  her  to  elope  with  him, 
for  they  set  out  to  cross  the  river  in  an  open  boat.  Since 
that  night  Clifton  has  never  been  heard  of;  and  two 
days  later,  the  body  of  the  unfortunate  girl  was  found 
washed  up  on  the  shore  many  miles  below  here." 

"And  the  man  ? — may  he  not  have  murdered  her  ? " 
asked  Clare,  excitedly. 

"  No  one  believes  that  he  did.  Every  possible  inquiry 
was  made;  the  boat  was  found  floating  on  the  river, 
turned  bottom  upward.  It  was  ascertained  that  Clifton 
could  not  swim,  and  the  inference  was  that  both  had 
perished,  though  his  body  was  never  found." 

After  a  pause,  Clare  said  : 

"  What  a  sad  story !  It  completely  refutes  Miss 
Coyle's  assertions,  and  I  am  glad  you  have  told  me." 

"  It  is  fortunate  for  you  that  I  found  the  opportunity. 
Since  you  know  how  Claudia  can  pervert  the  truth,  you 


MISS  COYLE'S  GAME  BLOCKED.      215 

will  not  again  be  likely  to  give  credence  to  any  assertion 
concerning  my  father  or  myself  that  she  may  make." 

"  I  promise  you  that ;  I  will  be  on  my  guard." 

"  Thank  you.  Have  confidence  m  my  father,  for  he 
is  your  best  friend  here.  He  has  no  designs  on  Mrs. 
Adair's  fortune ;  none  on  her  heiress,  believe  me." 

Clare  blushed  deeply,  and  drew  the  open  jewel  case 
toward  her,  nervously  attempting  to  fasten  it. 

Jasper  said : 

"  That  is  a  rare  set  of  ornaments.  You  must  be  a 
great  favorite  of  the  old  lady,  since  she  has  given  you 
the  gems  she  designed  for  her  granddaughter.  They 
were  never  given  to  her  though,  for  they  did  not  arrive 
till  after  she  disappeared." 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  of  that !  I  thought  they  had  been 
in  Miss  Adair's  possession." 

"  I  dare  say  Claudia  tried  to  disgust  you  with  them 
by  telling  you  that.  Did  she  not  also  say  that  opals  are 
considered  unlucky  for  the  wearer?" 

"  I  was  thinking  of  that  myself  when  Miss  Coyle 
joined  me  in  the  hall.  I  have  read  about  the  supersti- 
tion. Do  you  think  there  is  anything  in  it?" 

"  It  can  be  only  a  poetic  fancy.  In  what  month  were 
you  born,  Miss  Desmond  ?  " 

"  In  October.  Why  do  you  ask  ?  Has  that  anything 
to  do  with  my  opals  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  more  than  you  think.  Each  month  has  its 
own  peculiar  gem.  October  has  two — aqua  marine, 
which  signifies  misfortune,  so  you  must  not  wear  them ; 
opal  also  belongs  to  that  month,  and  its  signification  is 
hope.  Therefore  I  think  you  may  safely  deck  yourself 
with  your  beautiful  gift." 


216       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"  I  am  so  glad  to  know  that.  And  diamonds — what 
month  do  they  belong  to,  and  what  do  they  mean?" 

"Innocence;  and  their  sparkling  beauty  aptly  typifies 
the  month  of  April." 

"  Oh,  thank  you.     And  what  is  your  gem  ?" 

Jasper  pointed  to  the  studs  in  the  bosom  of  his  shirt, 
in  which  were  small  turquoise  stones,  and  replied : 

"These  are  emblematic  of  December,  and  mean 
success." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that.  You  are  so  good  to  me,  that 
I  heartily  wish  you  success  in  all  you  may  undertake." 

"Thank  you,"  said  Jasper,  with  a  beaming  smile. 
"But  here  comes  Claudia  again,  so  I  will  take  myself 
away.  Remember  your  pledge." 

She  nodded  her  head,  and  the  next  moment  he 
was  gone. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

MRS.  ADAIR'S  REVELATION. 


came  into  the  room  secretly  raging,  but 
V_y  she  smiled,  and  said  : 

"  You  have  found  pleasant  employment  in  my  absence. 
I  saw  Jasper  flirting  with  you  through  the  window. 
Why  did  he  run  away  at  my  approach  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  he  has  found  out  that  you  have  no  particular 
liking  for  him,"  said  Clare,  maliciously,  "and  thought  to 
please  you  best  by  retreating." 

"  I  scarcely  gave  him  credit  for  so  much  penetration," 


MES.    ADAIR'S     REVELATION.  217 

said  Claudia,  dryly.  "  I  have  little  cause  to  be  fond  of 
biin ;  and  when  you  have  found  him  out,  you  will  have 
no  more  faith  in  him  than  I  have.  What  brought  him 
from  his  den  I  wonder,  at  this  hour  of  the  morning? 
Did  he  explain  to  you  how  he  came  to  be  prowling  near 
this  room?" 

"  He  said  he  saw  the  windows  open,  and  he  came  to 
see  who  was  in  here." 

"And  he  stayed  to  talk  nonsense  with  you.  Ha !  ha ! 
it  is  something  new  for  Jasper  to  show  interest  in  a  young 
lady.  I  wonder  if  he  is  meditating  the  treachery  of 
trying  to  supplant  his  father." 

"  I  hardly  think  he  will  attempt  anything  of  the 
kind,"  was  the  quiet  reply.  "  He  has  been  explaining 
to  me  the  significance  of  gems,  and  I  found  it  very 
interesting." 

"And  what  may  opals  and  diamonds  mean?" 

"  Hope  and  innocence,"  said  Clare,  taking  the  ring  be- 
longing to  the  set  from  the  casket,  and  slipping  it  on  her 
finger.  "With  such  a  talisman  as  that  I  ought  to  be 
able  to  defy  all  malice  and  uncharitableness.  Don't  you 
think  so,  Claudia?" 

"  You  are  not  likely  to  encounter  either  here,  unless  it 
is  through  the  evil  influence  of  Mr.  Clifford  and  his  son. 
But  I  am  forgetting  my  errand  hither.  Mrs.  Adair 
wishes  you  to  take  my  place  as  reader  this  morning.  I 
am  suffering  from  a  slight  cold,  and  my  voice  is  not 
clear.  She  got  angry  with  me,  and  asked  me  what  I 
had  been  doing  with  myself — that  I  was  as  hoarse  as  a 
raven.  She  has  no  sympathy  with  any  ailments  but  her 
own." 

"  If  you  had  told  her  that  you  were  out  late  last  night, 


218        A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOKTUNE. 

on  an  errand  of  benevolence,  perhaps  she  would  have 
excused  you.  Of  course  I  will  go  to  her,  as  soon  as  I 
have  put  my  presents  away." 

A  sudden  flash  came  into  Claudia's  eyes,  and  she 
scanned  the  face  of  the  speaker  keenly,  half  amused  at 
her  unconscious  satire,  half  fearful  that  she  suspected  the 
nature  of  her  meeting  with  her  lover  on  the  previous 
night.  She  quickly  said : 

"  Of  course  Mrs.  Adair  knows  nothing  of  that  person. 
She  would  have  a  thousand  absurd  fancies  about  burglars 
if  she  knew  of  his  coming  here  to  ask  aid  from  me.  I 
hope  you  will  give  her  no  hint  of  his  presence  here  last 
night.  If  you  do  she  will  have  a  guard  of  armed  men 
around  the  house  for  a  month  to  come." 

"  You  may  rely  on  my  discretion,"  said  Clare,  laugh- 
ing; and  she  escaped  from  the  room,  ran  up-stairs, 
locked  up  her  jewels,  and  went  to  her  aunt's  room. 

Claudia  stood  a  moment  looking  after  her,  and  then 
threw  herself  upon  the  window  seat,  muttering : 

"  I  thought  I  should  have  an  unformed,  thoughtless 
child  to  deal  with ;  but  this  girl  is  sharp,  and  she  knows 
how  to  defend  herself.  Mr.  Clifford  has  evidently  put 
her  on  her  guard,  but  I  will  prove  more  than  a  match 
for  them  all  yet.  Jasper  could  not  have  been  near 
enough  to  overhear  my  version  of  Laura  Adair's  story, 
for  I  looked  around  carefully  when  I  opened  the  win- 
dows, and  no  one  was  in  sight." 

Thus  reassuring  herself  Claudia  sunk  into  a  reverie, 
trying  vainly  to  arrange  some  plan  by  which  the  future 
enjoyment  of  Mrs.  Adair's  fortune  could  be  secured  to 
herself  and  her  lover,  without  the  necessity  of  a  marriage 
between  Clare  and  Spiers,  with  the  tragic  result  he  had 
foreshadowed. 


MRS.  ADAIE'S    REVELATION.         219 

She  cared  very  little  as  to  what  fate  might  befall  the 
victim  she  was  ready  to  ensnare,  but  she  shrank  from 
possible  consequences,  for  she  had  a  superstitious  belief 
in  the  old  adage  that  "  murder  will  out."  Her  jealous 
heart  also  raged  at  the  thought  that  another  woman, 
younger  than  herself,  and  charming  in  men's  eyes,  should, 
even  for  an  hour,  come  between  herself  and  the  man  she 
so  passionately  loved. 

But  no  other  scheme  could  she  devise;  so  she  finally 
restored  the  room  to  its  usual  appearance,  and  went  up- 
stairs to  lie  down  ;  for  her  head  was  aching,  and  she  felt 
herself  at  present  unable  to  cope  with  the  difficulties  that 
surrounded  her. 

In  the  meantime  Clare  had  a  very  pleasant  time  with 
her  aunt.  She  was  a  good  reader,  and  she  had  a 
passionate  fondness  for  the  style  of  literature  which  Mrs. 
Adair  preferred. 

Every  mouth  a  package  of  books  was  sent  to  River- 
dale  from  Richmond,  and  the  latest  works  were  always 
found  among  them. 

At  twelve  luncheon  for  the  old  lady  was  brought  in, 
and  Clare  was  invited  to  remain  and  share  it  with  her. 
She  kindly  said,  as  they  sat  over  the  tray : 

"  You  read  charmingly,  my  dear.  Claudia's  voice  gets 
husky  very  soon,  and  I  hate  to  hear  fine  speeches  croaked 
out  as  if  the  hero  was  at  his  last  gasp.  I  like  all 
Claudia's  performances  better  than  her  reading." 

"Then  perhaps  you  will  permit  me  to  assume  that 
duty,  aunt.  I  shall  be  so  happy  to  be  of  some  use  to 
you." 

The  old  lady  fixedly  regarded  her,  and  with  a  faint 
sigh,  said: 


220       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"If  I  could  only  believe  that  you  will  really  care  for 
me  for  myself,  Clare,  and  not  for  what  I  can  give  you. 
At  first  I  thought  Claudia  sincerely  attached  to  me,  but 
she  was  so  willing  to  fall  into  my  views  with  regard  to 
herself  and  Jasper,  that  I  could  not  help  thinking  the 
fortune  to  be  won  by  doing  as  I  wished  was  the  most  she 
cared  for." 

11  Jasper  ! "  repeated  Clare,  with  a  strange  feeling  of 
annoyance  at  hearing  his  name  coupled  in  this  way  with 
that  of  Miss  Coyle.  But  she  recalled  the  first  words  of 
her  aunt,  and  more  calmly  went  on : 

"  Pardon  me,  aunt,  if  I  was  surprised  into  exclaiming 
as  I  did.  I  will  only  speak  of  myself,  in  reply  to  what 
you  first  said.  I  will  make  no  protestations  to  you,  for 
you  would  have  no  right  to  believe  them  till  you  know 
me  better.  I  have  no  one  here  to  love  but  you,  and  your 
goodness  to  my  parents  has  given  you  a  warm  place  in 
my  heart.  I  desire  to  be  Useful  to  you,  because  I  cannot 
bear  to  eat  the  bread  of  idleness.  If  you  will  let  me  do 
what  I  can  for  you,  I  shall  feel  as  if  I  earn  a  right  to  be 
here." 

"  You  have  the  right  without  earning  it,  child.  This 
is  the  home  of  your  mother's  family,  and  she  and  her 
children  are  all  that  are  left  of  the  old  stock.  You  are 
too  independent  in  your  ideas,  Clare;  but  if  you  can 
serve  me  for  love,  I  will  be  glad  to  have  you  near  me." 

"  It  is  a  compact  then,  aunt.  Give  to  my  mother,  if 
you  choose ;  but  let  me  think  only  of  pleasing  you  for 
your  own  sake." 

"  I  declare,  child,  you  almost  make  me  believe  that 
there  is  such  a  thing  in  the  world  as  disinterestedness. 
Now  about  Claudia.  You  seemed  astonished  just  now, 


MES.   ADAIE'S   EEVELATION.  221 

when  I  spoke  of  her  and  Jasper  in  connection  with  each 
other.  It  was  a  fancy  of  ray  own  to  make  a  match 
between  them,  and  give  them  all  I  had  to  bestow,  which, 
I  admit,  would  have  been  very  unjust  to  your  family. 
She  consented  at  once ;  but  my  young  gentleman  flared 
up  and  declared  that  he  would  be  no  party  to  any  such 
iniquitous  transaction,  and  I  am  sure  he  said  things  of 
Claudia  that  she  did  not  deserve." 

"  Do  you  think  that  Miss  Coyle  really  wished  to 
marry  Jasper?"  asked  Clare.  "I  already  have  the 
impression  that  she  does  not  like  him." 

"  Of  course  she  doesn't  now,  when  he  has  put  such  a 
slight  upon  her.  But  she  was  very  sweet  and  winning 
to  him  till  she  found  out  that  he  would  not  be  tempted 
to  enter  into  my  views." 

"  Then  I  think  you  should  give  him  credit  for  disin- 
terestedness, aunt ;  few  men  would  refuse  so  beautiful 
a  woman  as  Miss  Coyle,  even  without  the  additional 
temptation  of  a  large  fortune.  At  least  I  think  so." 

"  You  are  perfectly  right  in  that,  my  dear,  and  that  is 
why  Jasper's  conduct  is  so  inexplicable  to  me.  Claudia 
is  a  few  years  older  than  he,  but  she  will  retain  her 
beauty  even  longer  than  a  husband  cares  for  or  notices 
how  a  wife  looks." 

"  But  perhaps  something  was  wanting  in  Miss  Coyle 
which  Jasper  values  above  mere  beauty." 

"  My  dear,  men,  as  a  rule,  think  more  of  a  woman's 
charms,  than  they  do  of  other  and  nobler  gifts.  I  don't 
know  why  Jasper  should  set  up  a  higher  standard  than 
others,  especially  when  he  set  himself  in  opposition  to  me 
in  doing  so.  However,  it  is  just  as  well  as  it  is,  for  I  am 
not  so  much  infatuated  with  Claudia  as,  I  admit,  I  was 
at  first." 


222      A     NEW    WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

"Then  you  no  longer  wish  such  a  marriage  to  take 
place?" 

Clare  spoke  thus  because  the  old  lady  paused,  and 
looked  at  her  as  if  she  expected  some  reply.  With  a 
smile  that  was  inexplicable  to  her  young  companion, 
Mrs.  Ad  air  said : 

"  No,  indeed ;  I  am  almost  glad  that  Jasper  was  so 
obstinate,  though  I  was  angry  enough  with  him  at  the 
time,  and  he  has  been  in  my  black  book  ever  since.  You 
see,  my  dear,  I  have  always  had  my  own  way  all  my  life, 
and  1  don't  like  to  be  thwarted  when  I  have  set  my 
heart  on  a  thing." 

Clare  thought  her  very  unreasonable  to  be  glad  that 
Jasper  would  not  fall  into  her  views,  and  yet  show  cold- 
ness toward  him  because  he  had  firmness  to  resist  them, 
but  she  did  not  dare  to  say  so ;  and  she  began  to  fear  that 
the  task  of  pleasing  this  autocratic  old  dame  would  not 
be  so  easy  after  all. 

Finding  that  Clare  did  not  speak,  Mrs.  Adair  went 
on: 

"Jasper  is  my  godson,  and  I  could  not  get  on  without 
Richard  Clifford  to  manage  for  me.  He  is  another  stiff- 
necked  creature  who  chooses  to  have  a  will  of  his  own.  I 
think  he  ought  to  feel  remorse  when  he  remembers  how 
much  trouble  he  could  have  saved  me,  and  how  obsti- 
nate he  was  in  opposing  my  views.  Has  any  one  told 
you  about  that  unfortunate  girl,  my  granddaughter?" 

The  question  was  so  abrupt  that,  for  an  instant,  Claro 
did  not  know  what  reply  to  make.  She  flushed  under 
the  sharp  eyes  fixed  on  her,  and  Mrs.  Adair  went  on  : 

"I  see  that  your  woman's  curiosity  has  led  you  to 
find  out  all  you  could  about  her.  I  suppose  you  have 


MRS.   ADAIR'S   REVELATION.         223 

heard  that  she  was  drowned  in  that  river  flowing  so 
tranquilly  out  yonder,  and  that  I — I  took  her  death  as 
calmly  as  if  she  had  not  been  the  last  of  my  descend- 
ants." 

"  Oh  no,  aunt ;  no  one  referred  to  you  at  all,  or  spoke 
of  your  grief;  that  was  taken  for  granted/'  cried  Clare, 
anxious  to  vindicate  Jasper,  though  Mrs.  Adair  did  not 
know  that  it  was  from  him  she  had  heard  the  true 
history  of  her  granddaughter. 

In  a  defiant  tone,  the  old  lady  went  on  : 

"  It  is  true  all  the  same,  whether  it  was  spoken  of  or 
not.  I  shut  myself  up  in  my  room,  but  it  was  not  to 
grieve  over  the  removal  of  her  who  had  always  been  a 
thorn  in  my  side,  so  much  as  to  conceal  from  others  that 
I  was  not  overwhelmed  with  affliction  at  my  loss.  You 
see  I  am  frank  with  you,  Clare,  because  I  wish  you  to 
understand  me." 

"  I — I  am  afraid  you  are  getting  too  much  excited, 
aunt,"  faltered  her  unwilling  confidant.  "  You  know 
you  were  ill  last  night  after  talking  so  long  with  me." 

"  If  I  was,  it  does  not  follow  that  I  am  going  to  be  ill 
again  to-day,"  snapped  the  old  lady.  "  I  have  got  on 
this  theme  now,  and  I  am  going  to  tell  you  the  truth 
about  it,  that  you  may  take  warning,  and  not  try  to  have 
your  own  way,  whether  it  pleases  me  or  not.  I  like  you, 
child,  and,  as  short  a  time  as  I  have  known  you,  I  be- 
lieve I  should  feel  ingratitude  from  you  more  keenly 
than  I  did  from  Laura,  though  she  was  my  son's  child." 

"  I  will  do  my  best  to  please  you,  aunt,"  faltered  the 
poor  child,  who,  in  her  anxiety  to  propitiate  the  arbiter 
of  her  parents'  fortune,  would  have  promised  anything. 

"  Oh  !  I  dare  say  you  think  so  now ;  but  wait  and  see. 


224       A     NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOETUNE. 

Let  me  tell  you  about  Laura.  Her  mother  was  ugly, 
coarse,  commonplace,  and  what  attraction  my  son,  even 
with  his  depraved  tastes,  could  have  seen  in  her,  I  could 
never  comprehend.  I  always  had  my  doubts  as  to  the 
legality  of  the  marriage,  for  the  woman  came  to  me  after 
my  boy's  death,  with  her  child  in  her  arms,  and  a  certifi- 
cate of  marriage  which  might  have  been  forged ;  which, 
from  her  subsequent  career,  I  believe  was  forged. 

"  I  took  the  child,  for  she  was  all  that  was  left  to  me 
of  the  son  my  indulgence  had  ruined.  I  pensioned  the 
woman,  on  the  condition  that  she  should  go  away,  never 
seek  her  daughter  again,  and  resume  her  maiden  name. 
Of  course  she  consented,  for  she  cared  only  for  the 
money,  which  enabled  her  to  live  an  idle  and  vicious  life. 

"  Oh  !  my  pride — my  pride  was  dragged  in  the  dust 
by  that  woman's  conduct !  But  that  was  nothing  to  the 
humiliations  inflicted  on  me  by  her  child.  Laura  was 
the  counterpart  of  her  mother.  There  was  not  one  trait 
in  her  that  recalled  the  nobler  race  from  which  she 
sprung.  She  grew  into  womanhood  a  dull,  ungainly, 
cross-grained  creature,  who  mortified  and  annoyed  me  at 
every  turn.  How  was  it  possible  for  me  to  love  such  a 
being — to  grieve  over  her  death,  tragic  as  it  was  ?  " 

There  was  a  pause  which  Clare  made  no  effort  to 
break,  painful  as  it  was  to  her. 

"  Laura  had  a  mania  for  travelling — constant  change 
and  fine  dressing  amused  her,  and  I  was  forced  to  parade 
that  dullard  at  every  fashionable  place  of  resort,  as  the 
heiress  of  the  Beauforts.  You  can  never  understand 
what  I  suffered. 

"To  cap  the  climax,  she  fell  in  love  with  a  pretty, 
dandified  man,  who  only  cared  for  the  fortune  that  would 


MRS.   ADAIR'S   REVELATION.         225 

one  day  be  hers.  For  a  long  time  it  went  on,  in  spite 
of  all  I  could  do,  and  I  lived  in  constant  dread  of  an 
elopement.  As  money  was  Clifton's  object,  he  was 
finally  bought  off,  and  then  Laura  let  me  choose  a  hus- 
band for  her.  The  first  one  I  selected  refused  her  flatly, 
and  no  wonder,  for  no  man  of  any  taste  could  have  ac- 
cepted her  on  any  terms.  I  forgave  him,  though  I  was 
bitterly  angry  for  a  time. 

"  Well,  I  at  last  found  a  man  who  was  a  fair  match 
for  my  heiress,  and  his  mental  calibre  was  not  so  much 
above  hers  as  to  make  him  sensitive  to  Laura's  defects. 
I  groaned  in  spirit,  as  I  felt  that  I  was  about  to  have 
two  wooden  heads  to  deal  with  in  place  of  one,  but  I 
made  up  my  mind  to  endure  it.  The  end  of  it  all  was, 
that  an  elopement  with  the  banished  lover  was  at  last 
attempted,  and  in  the  storm  of  that  night  both  were  lost — 
the  unprincipled  runaway  and  her  worthless  lover. 

"  Do  yon  think  I  had  cause  to  grieve  for  her?  No — 
a  thousand  times  no.  After  the  first  shock  was  over,  I 
felt  as  if  a  horrible  incubus  had  been  lifted  from  my  life. 
Laura  had  tormented  me,  mortified  me,  and  defied  me 
in  every  possible  way.  It  was  better  to  stand  alone  in 
the  world  than  to  have  a  greedy,  insolent  cormorant 
taking  measure  of  my  days,  and  wondering  why  God 
allowed  me  to  linger  so  long  on  earth,  when  she  wanted 
her  inheritance  to  give  to  a  wretched  spendthrift,  who, 
in  a  few  years,  would  have  brought  to  the  hammer  the 
fair  lands  that  I  love  almost  as  a  portion  of  myself." 

Exhausted  by  the  rapidity  with  which  she  had  spoken, 
Mrs.  Adair  sunk  back,  white  and  tremulous.  She  mo- 
tioned for  water,  which  Clare  held  to  her  lips. 

"Shall  I  ring  for  Mona?"  she  asked 
14 


226       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIX     A    FORTUNE. 

"No — not  till  I  have  finished  all  I  have  to  say  to  you. 
To-day  I  have  the  power  to  control  myself,  and  I  shall 
do  it.  I  have  brought  you  hither,  Clare,  to  take  the 
place  of  that  unhappy  girl  of  whom  I  have  spoken  so 
freely.  You  suit  my  taste,  for  you  are  charming  in 
person  and  manner.  But  I  am  easily  alienated ;  at 
times,  I  am  fearfully  suspicious.  You  must  be  sub- 
missive to  me  ;  you  must  resign  your  fate  into  my  hands, 
or  the  great  object  of  my  life  will  be  thwarted.  Do  you 
consent  to  this,  child?" 

"  But,  aunt,  do  you  think  it  will  be  right  for  me  to 
do  that,  unless  I  understand  what  your  wishes  with 
reference  to  myself  may  be  ?  My  own  heart  may  run 
counter  to  them." 

"  I  shall  not  enlighten  you,"  was  the  decisive  reply. 
"  If  I  did  so,  with  the  perversity  of  human  nature,  you 
would  be  sure  to  refuse  the  fate  I  have  decreed  to  you. 
Unless  you  accept  it,  you  will  never  be  my  heiress.  I 
shall,  ere  long,  be  able  to  judge  of  the  probabilities  of 
success  to  the  wish  that  is  now  nearest  my  heart.  If 
you  fail  me,  I  will  provide  for  your  parents,  but  the 
bulk  of  my  estate  will  go  to  another  heir ;  to  one  who,  I 
know,  is  not  calculating  on  its  reversion,  and  will  not, 
therefore,  grudge  me  every  added  year  of  my  life." 

"Dear  aunt,  you  have  just  expressed  a  terrible  sus- 
picion, and  one  to  which,  for  all  you  own,  I  would  not 
have  myself  subjected,"  said  Clare,  in  a  low  voice.  "  I 
will  not  again  ask  you  what  you  wish  me  to  do  to  secure 
your  favor,  though  I  am  more  puzzled  than  I  can  ex- 
press by  the  strange  position  in  which  I  find  myself 
placed." 

Mrs.  Adair  laughed. 


MRS.    AD  AIR'S     REVELATION.  227 

"  I  think  your  good  angel  will  guide  you  aright,  my 
dear.  If  it  does,  you  will  have  a  magnificent  fortune  to 
bestow  on  the  man  of  your  choice.  If  it  does  not,  you 
and  yours  will  be  poor ;  for  then  I  shall  give  your  mo- 
ther but  a  few  thousands,  and  to  you — nothing.  So  you 
see  everything  depends  on  your  pleasing  me.  I  would 
like  to  make  plain  to  you  my  wishes,  but  my  experience 
tells  me  that  it  is  best  not  to  do  so.  I  leave  you  free- 
dom of  action  ;  use  it,  and  may  some  good  genius  guide 
you  in  the  path  I  wish  you  to  take." 

After  a  pause,  Clare  gently  said  : 

"  I  will  pray  to  God  for  guidance  in  the  difficult  path 
that  lies  before  me ;  and  I  hope — I  do  earnestly  hope, 
aunt,  that  I  too  shall  not  prove  a  source  of  disappoint- 
ment to  you." 

"  If  you  do,  I  shall  give  you  up — send  you  away,  and 
never  ask  your  parents  to  come  hither,  only  to  behold 
the  paradise  their  daughter  failed  to  win  as  her  dower. 
Ring  for  Mona  now ;  I  think  we  understand  each  other 
sufficiently,  and  I  feel  tired." 

Clare  left  the  room  like  one  in  a  dream.  She  went  to 
her  own  apartment,  ensconced  herself  in  the  wide  window 
seat,  and  reflected  on  all  that  had  been  said  to  her  that 
morning. 

Claudia  had  told  her  that  the  dearest  wish  of  Mrs. 
Adair  was,  to  hold  intact  the  property  she  valued  so 
highly ;  that  the  Cliffords  had  claims  on  it,  which  could 
not,  in  justice,  be  passed  over.  She  was  shrewd  enough 
to  comprehend  that  one  or  the  other  of  them  was  the 
man  her  aunt  wished  her  to  marry; "for  that  on  her 
choice  of  a  husband  she  felt  sure  depended  her  future 
prosperity,  and  that  of  those  she  held  dearer  than  herself. 


228 


A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 


Jasper  had  offended  the  old  lady  by  his  conduct  toward 
Miss  Coyle,  and  was  evidently  out  of  favor ;  therefore  it 
could  only  be  his  father  to  whom  Mrs.  Adair's  wishes 
pointed. 

The  poor  child  indignantly  repudiated  the  idea  of 
attempting  to  win  a  man  of  Mr.  Clifford's  age  to  think 
of  her  as  his  wife,  and  she  thought  the  eccentricity  of  her 
new-found  relative  must  border  on  insanity,  if  she  really 
had  planned  so  unsuitable  a  marriage. 

The  price  to  be  paid  for  this  inheritance  would  be  too 
great,  she  thought,  if  she  was  required  to  give  her  youth, 
her  brightness,  her  freshness  of  heart  and  freedom  of 
choice,  in  exchange  for  it. 

Yet  this  glimpse  of  prosperity  had  made  her  more 
anxious  than  ever  to  secure  to  her  family  the  enjoyment 
of  the  wealth  on  which  they  certainly  possessed  the 
strongest  claim  when  its  present  possessor  was  removed 
by  death. 

"  If  it  was  only  Jasper  now,"  she  thought,  with  a 
blush,  "  it  would  not  be  so  difficult  to  fall  into  the  old 
lady's  plans.  He  admires  me — I  could  see  that — and  he 
is  the  handsomest  man  I  have  ever  seen.  I  wonder  who 
it  is  my  aunt  will  give  her  money  to,  if  I  refuse  to  do  as 
she  wishes?  Heigh-ho  !  it  is  all  a  wretched  puzzle,  so  I 
believe  I'll  be  reckless,  and  please  myself." 


NEW     FRIENDS.  229 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

NEW   FRIENDS. 

wilful  decision  was  scarcely  arrived  at, 
V^  when  Lyra  came  in  to  assist  her  in  making  her 
toilet  for  dinner. 

"  Mistis  sent  her  love,  Miss  Clare,  an'  tole  me  to  tell 
you  that  some  gemplin  from  the  other  side  o'  the  river 
will  be  here  to  dinner,  an'  she  wants  you  to  make  yerse'f 
look  as  han'some  as  you  kin.  You  know,  Miss,  she  sots 
a  heap  o'  store  on  good  looks,  an'  I'm  gwine  to  try  an' 
make  you  shine  down  Miss  Claudy.  Miss  Clawy  would 
be  a  better  name  for  her,  I'm  thinkin',  for  the  way  she's 
bin  goin'  on  in  her  room  is  nuff  to  make  yer  har  riz  on 
yer  head.  Look  at  mine,  whar  she's  ketched  at  it,  an' 
pulled  it  from  under  my  hanksher.  She's  steriky,  and 
I's  been  waitin'  on  her,  an'  tryin'  to  git  her  roun'  in  time 
for  dinner." 

"  Is  Miss  Coyle  really  ill  ?  She  complained  of  head- 
ache, but  I  did  not  think  much  was  the  matter  with  her. 
I  think  I  had  better  go  in  and  see  how  she  is  before  I 
begin  to  dress." 

"  Oh,  'tan't  nothin'  much.  She's  only  in  one  o'  her 
ways,  an'  I  know  she'd  ruther  you  wouldn't  trouble 
yerse'f  about  her.  'Deed,  Miss  Clare,  her  sickness  an't 
o'  no  'count ;  suffiu's  gone  wrong  wi'  her,  that's  all." 

Clare  paused  half-way  across  the  floor,  and  asked,  with 
some  displeasure : 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Lyra,  by  speaking  in  this  way 
of  a  friend  of  my  aunt's  ?  " 


230       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FOETUNE. 

"SJie  an't  a  friend  to  nobody  but  herse'f ;  now  mind  I 
tell  you  so,  Missy.  Don't  you  be  lettin'  her  bamboozle 
you  as  she  does  the  mistis.  She's  sweet  as  honey  to  her, 
but  half  the  time  she  stings  the  rest  on  us  like  the  bees 
what  makes  it.  She's  orfle  to-day,  I  tell  you,  an'  you'd 
better  let  her  be." 

"  She  will  hardly  be  rude  to  me,  I  think,  and  if  she  is 
suffering,  I  ought  to  go  to  her." 

"She's  only  had  a  fit  o'  the  highstrikes,  but  she's  got 
over  'em  now,  an'  Hebe  is  helpin'  her  to  dress.  You's 
only  got  time  to  do  yer  own  prinkin',  Miss  Clare,  an' 
mistis  '11  be  proper  vexed  if  you  don't  look  yer  very  best 
to-day." 

Clare  came  back  at  this,  saying  : 

"I  should  only  be  in  the  way  if  she  is  well  enough  to 
make  a  toilet.  Is  Miss  Coyle  subject  to  such  attacks  as 
the  one  you  have  described  ?  " 

"  Wall,  I  s'pose  I  may  say  she  is.  She  holds  in  some- 
times for  a  week  or  two,  when  things  go  smooth-like ; 
but  when  she's  worrited  about  anything,  she  allers  goes 
off  in  a  steriky  spasm.  She  kin  allers  git  out'n  it  though, 
whenever  she  chooses.  'Tan't  nothin'  but  temper,  Mona 
says,  an'  she  ought  to  un'stan'  cranky  people,  caze,  you 
see,  she's  had  a  mighty  onsartin'  one  to  manage  ever 
sense  she  were  a  young  gal." 

"  Meaning  my  aunt,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  In  course,  Miss.  I  don't  mean  nothin'  dis'pectful  to 
the  mistis,  but  she's  crotchety,  an'  there  an't  no  use 
denyin'  of  it.  Ef  she  wa'n't  she'd  never  ha'  took  it  in 
lier  poor  ole  head  to  make  Marse  Jasper  marry  Miss 
Claudy.  When  he  wouldn't  'gree  nohow,  the  way  she 
flared  up  at  him  was  orfle ;  yet  she  wouldn't  let  him  go 
'way  when  he  wanted  to." 


NEW     FRIENDS.  231 

| 

"She  is  fond  of  him  then,"  Clare  said,  though  she 
could  have  bitten  her  lip  afterward  for  uttering  the 
words. 

"  'Deed,  I  think  she  likes  him  better  'n  anybody  in  the 
worl',  though  she  don't  sen'  for  him  to  her  room  no 
longer,  like  she  uset.  She'll  come  roun'  agin,  arter  a 
while,  though.  Ef  you'll  let  me,  Miss  Clare,  I'd  like  to 
tell  you  suffin  we  darkies  has  been  hopin'  might  come  to 
pass  in  futur'." 

Clare's  face  dimpled  into  smiles,  and  she  said : 

"  Perhaps  I  can  guess  it ;  but  that  is  all  nonsense,  you 
know,  Lyra." 

"  'Deed,  I  think  it's  mighty  good  sense,  Missy ;  an' 
it'll  be  a  heap  better  'rangement  than  that  other  one 
'bout  Miss  Claudy,  that  he  wouldn't  hear  to.  You  an't 
grand-like,  like  she  is,  but  you's  'nuff  sweeter  an'  whole- 
somer  to  live  with  than  she  be.  Oh,  she's  a  clinker,  I 
tell  you." 

Clare  laughed  in  spite  of  herself. 

"  I  don't  know  what  that  means,  Lyra." 

"  Don't  you  ?  Let  me  'splain  then.  A  clinker  means 
a  smasher,  a  clawer,  a  she-tiger ;  an'  all  them  Miss 
Claudy'd  be,  ef  she  only  got  the  chance.  I  'clar'  to 
Moses,  when  I's  seen  her  a  goin'  on  sometimes,  I  wished 
the  lunity  people  could  ha'  hearn  her,  caze  they'd  been 
sure  to  put  a  strait-jacket  on  her." 

"I  declare,  Lyra,  you  almost  make  me  afraid  of  Miss 
Coyle.  You  must  exaggerate." 

"  I  dunno  what  that  air  big  word  means,  but  I  an't 
tellin'  you  nothiu'  but  what's  true  as  gospil,  Miss  Clare. 
As  to  bein'  feared  on  her,  'twon't  hurt  you  if  you  is. 
She  an't  no  call  to  be  frien'ly  to  you,  for  ever  sense  she's 


232      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

bin  here,  she's  bin  tryin'  to  git  on  the  right  side  o'  the 
mistis,  an'  we  all  knows  what  that's  for." 

"  But  it  was  Miss  Coyle  who  induced  Mrs.  Adair  to 
send  for  me ;  therefore,  you  see,  you  must  be  mistaken  if 
you  think  she  has  any  hostile  feeling  toward  me." 

The  girl's  eyes  widened ;  and  after  a  pause,  she  said, 
in  an  emphatic  whisper : 

"  Then  you  stan'  from  under,  Missy,  for  she  means 
mischief  to  you ;  sho's  you  live,  she  do." 

Clare  laughed  nervously,  but  she  began  to  think  this 
strange  confidence  had  gone  far  enough,  and  she  coldly 
said : 

"You  must  not  retail  to  me  the  gossip  of  the  servants, 
Lyra.  I  wish  to  live  on  friendly  terms  with  this  young 
lady,  but  if  I  permit  you  to  fill  my  mind  with  idle  sus- 
'picions  concerning  her,  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  do 
that.  At  what  hour  is  dinner  served  here  ?  " 

"At  four  o'clock,  Miss ;  you  has  plenty  o'  time  to 
make  yerse'f  look  as  killin'  as  you  kin.  I  axes  yer  par- 
don for  sayin'  one  word  more,  Miss  Clare ;  but  mhid,  I 
tell  you,  the  more  you  'spicions  Miss  Claudy,  the  better 
for  you." 

"  There,  that  will  do ;  now  help  me  to  make  my  toilet, 
and  do  not  refer  to  Miss  Coyle  again." 

"  I'll  'gree  to  be  mum-chance  nuff,  Missy,  if  you'll 
only  'member  what  I  has  said.  'Tan't  no  use  talkin' 
when  you's  sot  agin  believin';  but  you'll  fine  out  some 
day  that  she  an't  no  frien'  o'  your'n,  when  it'll  be  too 
late,  mebbe.  I'm  mighty  glad,  anyhow,  that  the  mistis 
sent  me  to  wait  on  you,  an'  Hebe  on  her." 

By  way  of  changing  the  topic  that  so  deeply  interested 
her  loquacious  maid,  Clare  said : 


NEW     FRIENDS.  233 J 

"What  singular  names  you  all  have!  Lyra,  Mona 
and  Hebe,  and  the  dining-room  servant  is  called  Castor. 
I  could  almost  fancy  that  I  have  been  suddenly  translated 
to  Mount  Olympus." 

The  girl  showed  all  her  shining  teeth  as  she  replied : 

"Mistis  named  us  all  out'n  her  po'try  books.  She 
don't  like  nothin'  that  an't  grand-like." 

Accustomed  from  childhood  to  the.  familiarity  of 
family  servants,  the  freedom  with  which  Lyra  spoke  to 
her  did  not  seem  out  of  place  to  Clare.  While  dressing, 
she  ruminated  on  the  warning  the  words  of  the  girl  were 
intended  to  convey,  but  she  could  not  believe  that  any 
evil  could  reach  her,  protected  as  she  was  by  her  aunt, 
and  with  both  Mr.  Clifford  and  Jasper  to  watch  over 
her. 

That  both  father  and  son  mistrusted  Miss  Coyle,  and 
kept  over  her  a  strict  surveillance,  she  had  reason  to 
believe ;  then  why  should  she  trouble  her  young  head  as 
to  her  schemes  ?  She  hated  to  think  evil  of  any  one ; 
her  sunny  and  unsuspicious  temper  recoiled  from  harbor- 
ing dark  and  secret  thoughts  concerning  those  with 
whom  she  was  daily  thrown  into  companionship,  and 
with  the  characteristic  heedlessness  of  youth  Clare  put 
far  from  her  the  disagreeable  thoughts  Lyra's  words  had 
evoked.  When  her  toilet  was  completed,  she  smiled 
herself  at  the  fair,  fresh  image  reflected  back  to  her  from 
the  large  mirror,  and  Lyra  was  in  raptures.  The  blue 
silk  was  exquisitely  becoming.  Around  the  low  boddice 
fell  fine  black  lace,  and  the  short  sleeves  were  trimmed 
with  the  same ;  on  the  latter  and  upon  her  breast  were 
knots  of  rose-colored  ribbon,  which  harmonized  with  the 
pink  coral  her  aunt  had  given  her. 


•234       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

"  Thar !  I  think  ye  can  hold  yer  own  agin  all  de  worl', 
Miss  Clare,  let  alone  that  steriky  gal  as  wants  to  git 
ahead  on  you." 

Severe  in  youthful  dignity,  her  young  lady  turned  to 
her,  and  said : 

"This  must  be  the  last  time  that  you  speak  to  me  so 
disrespectfully  of  Miss  Coyle.  Remember,  Lyra,  or  I 
shall  ask  my  aunt  to  transfer  Hebe  to  my  service,  and  let 
you  take  her  place  near  that  young  lady." 

Lyra  seemed  quite  taken  aback  by  this  address,  and 
she  looked  much  crestfallen  as  she  said,  in  a  doleful 
tone: 

"I  'clar'  to  Moses,  I  an't  said  nuffin  but  was  for  yer 
good,  Miss  Clare.  I'll  bite  my  tongue  off  sooner  'n 
I'll  'fend  that  way  agin,  if  I'm  to  be  sont  to  wait  on  that 
ere — my  gracious !  thar,  I  am  doin'  of  it  agin  !  " 

Clare  shook  her  finger  at  her,  laughing  in  spite  of  her 
efforts  to  be  grave,  and  flitted  from  the  room,  as  sweet  a 
vision  of  youth  and  loveliness  as  ever  gladdened  the  heart 
of  man. 

Claudia  was  in  the  hall  below,  looking  as  calm  and 
inscrutable  as  a  marble  sphinx;  she  was  dressed  with 
perfect  taste,  and  was  beautiful  as  Cleopatra  herself  in 
the  days  when  her  lover  thought  a  world  well  lost  for 
her  sake. 

As  she  looked  at  her  Clare  almost  doubted  the  state- 
ment so  lately  made  to  her  by  Lyra.  It  seemed  impos- 
sible that  this  stately,  self-poised  woman  could  so  lately 
have  given  the  rein  to  her  naturally  violent  temper,  and 
yet  show  no  visible  trace  of  the  agitation  through  which 
she  had  passed. 

If  Lyra's  person  had  not  borne  proof  of  the  truth  of 


NEW     FRIENDS.  235 

her  statements  Clare  would  have  doubted  it ;  but  the 
girl's  hair  was  torn  from  beneath  her  handkerchief,  and 
her  neck  bore  several  scratches  inflicted  by  the  polished 
filbert  nails  of  the  hand  which  now  held  a  bouquet  of 
rare  flowers,  while  she  commented  on  their  beauty  to  a 
small  young  man  who  stood  beside  her. 

His  figure  was  extremely  slender,  but  straight  as  an 
arrow,  and  his  carriage,  naturally  stiff,  had  acquired  little 
grace  or  ease  by  intercourse  with  society.  His  com- 
plexion was  sallow,  his  features  sharply  cut,  and  his  pale, 
greenish  gray  eyes  were  set  beneath  dust-colored  eye- 
brows. An  immense  quantity  of.  hair  of  the  same  hue 
stood  out  from  his  head,  as  if  he  had  recently  been  tear- 
ing it,  and  his  long  neck  was  bare  a  la  Byron. 

He  was  dressed  in  the  extreme  of  fashion,  and  carried 
in  his  hand  a  scented  handkerchief,  fine  and  white  enough 
for  a  lady's  use. 

As  Clare  tripped  down  the  winding  stairs  he  threw 
himself  into  an  attitude,  and  exclaimed  in  blank  verse 
of  his  own  composition  : 

"A  goddess  from  the  heights  descends, 
Fair  as  Aurora  in  the  early  dawn, 
And  scatters  living  light  from  eyes 
That  scintillate  sweet  meaning. 

Dear  Miss  Coyle,  I  am  charmed,  enraptured  with  this 
new  divinity.  I  feel  that  my  heart  is  already  gone." 

Claudia  laughed  musically. 

"  You  are  too  susceptible,  Mr.  Brooke.  Every  new 
face  that  has  any  claims  to  prettiness  produces  a  tumult- 
uous sensation  in  the  vital  organ  you  call  your  heart. 
If  you  were  only  capable  of  a  genuine  passion  the  field 
is  open  to  you  here.  Mrs.  Adair  wishes  her  heiress  to 


236       A     NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

make  a  suitable  choice,  and  of  course  you,  with  your 
position  and  fortune,  may  enter  the  lists."  [ 

He  bowed,  with  his  hand  upon  his  heart,  and  said : 

"  I  never  before  valued  the  gifts  of  fortune  at  their 
true  worth.  You  open  paradise  to  me,  Miss  Coyle,  and 
I  think  I  shall  profit  by  your  suggestion.  There  is 
something  divine  in  love  at  first  sight,  and  I  am  sure  I 
feel  it  for  the  fair  vision  that  approaches." 

By  this  time  Clare  had  gained  the  floor,  and  she  came 
forward,  and  was  duly  presented  to  Mr.  Brooke,  the  son 
of  a  retired  physician  who  had  made  a  large  fortune. 
He  resided  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  was  an 
old  and  esteemed  friend  of  Mrs.  Adair. 

Clare  repressed  the  inclination  to  smile  at  the  fantastic 
obeisance  the  young  man  made,  and  said  to  Claudia : 

"  I  hope  I  have  not  kept  you  waiting  on  me.  I  did 
not  know  you  had  come  down." 

"  I  have  been  watching  for  you  for  ten  minutes,"  was 
the  reply.  "  But  there  is  yet  time  for  you  to  make  your 
appearance  in  the  drawing-room  before  dinner  is  an- 
nounced. Mrs.  Adair  is  expecting  you  there." 

The  three  entered  the  large  apartment,  and  Clare  blushed 
to  see  her  figure  reflected  from  every  side  by  the  numer- 
ous mirrors  upon  its  walls  as  she  moved  forward  to  the 
farther  end,  where  her  aunt  was  seated  in  a  large  velvet- 
covered  chair,  talking  gayly  with  a  tall,  gray-haired  man 
who  stood  beside  her.  He  had  a  melancholy,  cadaverous 
face  and  deep  sunken  gray  eyes,  from  which  all  light  and 
joy  seemed  long  since  to  have  departed. 

A  more  lugubrious-looking  man  could  hardly  have 
been  found,  and  when  Mrs.  Adair  named  him  to  her 
niece  as  Dr.  Brooke,  he  put  out  a  long,  claw-like  hand, 
and,  in  a  deep  voice  that  had  little  vibration,  said : 


NEW    FRIENDS.  237 

"  I  am  most  happy  to  make  your  acquaintance,  Miss 
Desmond.  I  have  met  with  your  father,  and  I  liked 
him." 

Mrs.  Adair  here  broke  in : 

"  Doctor,  please  give  me  your  arm  to  the  dining-room ; 
there  is  Castor  bowing  at  the  door,  and  that  is  the  signal 
for  dinner.  Here  come  Mr.  Clifford  and  Jasper  just  in 
time." 

The  two  gentlemen  entered,  shook  hands  with  the 
doctor  and  his  son,  and  then  Mr.  Clifford  drew  Clare's 
hand  beneath  his  arm,  leaving  the  two  young  men  to 
escort  Miss  Coyle. 

She  hardly  liked  being  appropriated  in  this  way,  and 
wondered  a  little  resentfully  if  Mr.  Clifford  was  thus 
early  asserting  the  claim  upon  her  which  Mrs.  Adair's 
favor  gave  him.  But  she  was  a  little  consoled  when  they 
took  their  places  at  the  table.  Mr.  Clifford  sat  opposite 
to  the  mistress  of  the  house,  and  was  too  much  engaged 
in  carving  to  give  her  much  attention  for  a  time,  though 
he  placed  her  on  his  right  hand.  Jasper  deserted  the 
fair  Claudia,  and  took  his  seat  beside  her;  Miss  Coyle 
sat  between  the  two  guests,  well  pleased  to  monopolize 
the  attention  of  the  younger  man,  while  the  doctor 
played  the  agreeable,  as  far  as  he  could,  to  the  old  lady. 

The  dinner  was  elegantly  served,  but  it  consisted  of 
but  three  courses,  as  the  fashion  of  stupefying  the  senses 
and  ruining  the  digestion,  by  partaking  of  food  which  the 
appetite  does  not  crave,  had  not  yet  come  in.  Claret 
was  served  with  the  meats,  and  old  Madeira  with  the 
dessert,  and  the  gentlemen  left  the  table  with  the  ladies 
when  the  repast  was  ended. 

Around  the  board  the  conversation  became   general 


238      A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

when  the  fruits  and  ices  were  put  upon  the  table,  and 
Clare  found  herself  talking  with  a  degree  of  ease  and 
fluency  that  surprised  herself,  when  she  remembered  how 
little  any  of  the  company  was  known  to  her. 

Both  Jasper  and  Mr.  Clifford  took  pains  to  draw  her 
out,  and  she  felt  grateful  to  them  for  the  attentions  they 
lavished  upon  her.  Just  before  they  arose  from  the 
table,  Jasper  said  to  her,  in  a  low  tone : 

"  You  have  been  under  inspection,  Miss  Desmond,  and 
I  think  the  verdict  is  favorable.  That  grim  old  man 
opposite  is  my  aunt's  oracle,  and  he  was  asked  here  to- 
day to  pass  judgment  upon  you.  That  is  why  I  took 
my  place  beside  you.  I  wished  to  give  you  such  poor 
assistance  as  I  could  render,  to  enable  you  to  pass  the 
ordeal  with  flying  colors.  I  think  you  have  proved  a 
success." 

She  flashed  a  lightning  glance  into  his  eyes,  and 
saucily  said : 

"  Then  I  will  claim  you  for  my  ally  on  all  occasions 
when  I  need  help.  You  shall  be  my  preux  chevalier, 
and  wear  my  colors." 

She  took  from  one  of  the  flower  vases  with  which  the 
table  was  decorated  a  lovely  blush  rose,  and  held  it  to- 
ward him.  Jasper  accepted  it,  and  dreamily  regarding 
her,  asked : 

"Don't  you  think  such  a  compact  will  be  rather 
dangerous  to  me,  and  to — to — somebody  else  ?  " 

Clare  looked  very  innocent,  as  she  replied  : 

"  Not  unless  we  choose  to  run  into  danger  with  our 
eyes  open.  I  want  a  friend  beneath  this  roof,  and  I — 
yes,  I  think  I  can  trust  you,  after  what  you  said  to  me 
this  morning." 


NEW     FRIENDS.  239 

"  You  may  trust  me  indeed ;  only,  you  see,  it  might 
be  dangerous  to  trust  myself;  and  I  am  no  longer  in  the 
good  graces  of  the  person  it  is  most  important  to  you  to 
please." 

Clare  made  a  wilful  little  grimace,  and  said,  as  they 
walked  together  toward  the  drawing-room : 

"  I  will  try  to  make  that  person  love  me,  for  I  feel 
grateful  to  her ;  but  the  way  to  do  that  is  not  to  submit 
to  unreasonable  caprices.  I  am  going  to  be  true  to  my- 
self, and  if  she  likes  me  it  will  be  well ;  if  not — " 

She  paused,  and  changed  color  slightly. 

After  a  brief  silence,  Jasper  said  : 

"  That  will  probably  be  your  best  course.  I  cannot 
help  thinking  that  your  intuitions  are  so  true  and  good, 
that  they  will  guide  you  aright.  Remember  always, 
that  you  have  two  stanch  friends  near  you,  in  my  father 
and  myself." 

At  the  reference  to  Mr.  Clifford  her  brow  contracted 
slightly,  and  she  almost  impatiently  replied  : 

"  I  cannot  speak  as  freely  to  an  elderly  man  like  your 
father,  as  I  can  to  one  nearer  my  own  age.  I  cannot 
help  standing  a  little  in  awe  of  him." 

Jasper  regarded  her  with  a  penetrating  glance;  he 
impressively  said : 

"  You  must  not  be  afraid  of  the  best  friend  you  can 
claim  here,  Miss  Desmond.  Above  all,  have  perfect 
faith  in  his  honor  and  integrity  of  purpose." 

Before  Clare  could  reply  they  entered  the  drawing- 
room,  and  Brooke  came  to  her  side,  while  Claudia,  at  the 
solicitation  of  the  doctor,  seated  herself  at  the  piano,  and 
played  wild  German  music  for  him,  for  which  he  had  a 
passion. 


240       A    NEW    WAY     TO     WIN     A    FORTUNE. 

Clare  had  in  her  that  spice  of  coquetry  which  is 
inherent  in  pretty,  bright  women,  and  she  thought  it  no 
harm  to  amuse  herself  with  the  absurdities  of  her  new 
acquaintance.  Besides,  she  was  flattered  by  Walter 
Brooke's  evident  admiration,  when  a  royal  queen  of 
beauty  like  Claudia  Coyle  was  near.  She  had  a  keen 
memory,  had  read  any  quantity  of  poetry  since  her 
school-days  ended,  and  she  could  return  quotation  for 
quotation  with  an  aptness  that  surprised  and  enchanted 
her  new  admirer.  Jasper  withdrew  himself  into  a  recess 
of  one  of  the  windows,  but  he  furtively  watched  this 
young  girl,  who  seemed  to  him  a  new  revelation  of  femi- 
nine grace  and  loveliness.  With  a  half  sigh,  he  thought : 

"If  she  had  only  come  hither  first,  before  that  coiling 
serpent  had  time  to  wind  herself  about  my  aunt,  how 
easy  it  would  have  been  for  me  to  fall  into  her  plans. 
It  is  too  late  now ;  I  have  lost  favor  with  her,  and  any 
demonstration  of  interest  on  my  part  would  ruin  this 
poor  child." 

The  sharp  voice  of  the  old  lady  aroused  him  from  his 
reverie. 

"  Come  here,  Jasper,  and  sit  beside  me.  I  wish  to 
ask  you  a  question." 

Jasper  took  the  seat  she  indicated,  which  had  just  been 
vacated  by  his  father,  who,  with  a  nod  and  smile  to  him, 
went  out  of  the  room. 

"Well,  aunt,  I  am  ready  to  answer  your  question," 
he  said,  as  the  old  lady  leaned  back,  apparently  forgetful 
of  what  she  had  said. 

"Oh — ah — yes;  I  was  thinking  of  something  else. 
What  do  you  think  of  my  new  heiress  ?  " 

"If  you  mean  Miss  Desmond,  I  think  her  a  very 
attractive  person." 


NEW     FRIENDS.  241 

"  Hum  ! — brief  enough  ;  '  damning  with  faint  praise/ 
as  somebody  strongly  said.  Don't  you  think  that  she 
and  Walter  Brooke  would  make  a  suitable  match?" 

Jasper  coldly  replied : 

"  I  scarcely  think  you  will  be  more  fortunate  in  match- 
making in  this  instance,  than  you  were  in  another  you 
wot  of,  aunt,  if  you  think  that  shallow  fop  yonder  will 
be  successful  with  Miss  Desmond." 

This  reply  irritated  Mrs.  Adair,  and  she  snapped : 

"  Why  not,  pray  ?  My  wishes  will  have  more  weight 
with  her  than  they  had  with  an  ungrateful  boy  I  could 
name.  She  has  more  at  stake  than  he  had,  and  there- 
fore will  be  more  pliable  in  my  hands." 

"  Yes,  she  is  a  woman,  and  therefore  more  dependent, 
and  she  has  others  to  think  of  besides  herself.  But,  my 
dear  aunt,  for  that  very  reason  you  should  allow  her 
perfect  freedom  of  choice." 

"  That  is  what  I  intend  to  do ;  but  if  she  does  not 
choose  one  to  please  me,  back  she  goes,  and  she  will  get 
nothing  from  me.  When  she  and  you  have  both  ruined 
yourselves,  perhaps  you  will  take  it  in  your  wise  heads 
to  fall  in  love  with  and  console  each  other.  Who  knows? 
As  old  Gummidge  says,  'Everything  goes  by  contraries.' " 

Jasper  was  at  a  loss  to  understand  this  inconsistent 
speech.  He  only  said  : 

"  Since  I  have  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  offend  you 
irrevocably,  I  can  only  hope  that  this  young  lady  will 
be  more  tractable  than  myself.  If  she  consults  her 
interests,  she  certainly  will." 

"  Hum  !     What  a  precise  young  man  you  are,  Jasper. 
I  have  no  patience  with  people  who  are  blind  to — to  the 
wishes  of  those  who  are  interested  in  them," 
15 


242       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

"  I  do  not  understand  you,  aunt." 

Mrs.  Adair  laughed  harshly : 

"A  month  or  two  hence,  perhaps,  I  shall  be  more  easily 
comprehended.  Here  comes  the  doctor  to  say  that  they 
are  going." 

Dr.  Brooke,  after  thanking  Claudia  formally  for  the 
pleasure  she  had  given  him,  came  toward  the  lady  of  the 
house,  and  solemnly  said : 

"I  dare  not  expose  myself  to  the  night  air  on  the 
water,  and  therefore  I  must  take  my  leave,  dear  madam, 
though  inclination  would  detain  me  here  many  hours  yet, 
if  I  could  consult  it  alone." 

"Must  you  go,  dear  friend  ?  Since  it  is  so,  pray  tell 
me  what  impression  my  niece  has  made  on  you.  Your 
opinion  has  great  weight  with  me,  you  know." 

"  I  think  her  charming.  Young,  impressible  and  easily 
molded,  you  will  have  no  trouble  iu  guiding  her  as  you 
wish.  I  have  watched  her,  and  I  think  she  will  bo  a 
comfort  to  you,  and  a  blessing." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  so — I  hope  so ;  for  I  have  suffered  much 
through  the  wilfulness  of  the  young  people  I  have  had 
to  deal  with." 

The  doctor  and  his  son  took  their  leave,  promising  to 
repeat  the  visit  very  soon,  and  the  old  lady  retired  to 
her  room  as  soon  as  they  were  gone. 


THE    BROOKE     FAMILY.  243 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

THE   BROOKE   FAMILY. 

A  BOAT  with  an  awning  and  cushioned  seats  awaited 
Dr.  Brooke  and  his  son  in  a  little  cove  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  lawn.  A  stalwart  negro  man  was  in 
charge  of  it,  and  the  two  gentlemen  seated  themselvesj 
and  conversed  in  low  tones. 

"You  seemed  much  pleased  with  the  new  favorite, 
Walter." 

"  Pleased  !  I  am  ages  gone  in  love  with  her  already. 
Such  taste,  such  fondness  for  my  favorite  authors,  I 
scarcely  expected  to  find  in  so  young  a  girl.  She  and  I 
perfectly  agree  in  our  estimate  of  Byron,  Scott  and  the 
Lake  poets." 

"And  of  course  you  found  her  adorable,"  replied  the 
elder  man,  with  a  slight  tinge  of  cynicism  in  his  tone. 
"The  question  is,  how  long  will  the  impression  last?  for 
you  were  quite  as  enthusiastic  about  Claudia  Coyle, 
when  you  first  made  her  acquaintance." 

"That  is  true;  for  who  could  help  bowing  down 
before  so  magnificent  a  woman?  For  a  whole  month 
I  was  bewitched  by  that  fascinating  being,  and  it  seems 
to  me  that  was  a  long  time  to  devote  to  one  woman, 
when  there  are  so  many  charming  creatures  to  claim 
one's  attention." 

The  doctor  made  a  gesture  of  impatience : 

"  You  are  incorrigible,  Walter ;  but  this  is  not  a  ques- 
tion of  mere  admiration.  With  me  it  means  marriage, 
and  settling  down  to  be  constant  to  one  woman.  I  wish 
you  to  marry,  as  you  have  long  known,  and  Miss  Des- 


244       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

mond  is  suited  to  you  in  every  respect.  I  hardly  think 
Mrs.  Adair  will  throw  Tier  over,  and  she  could  not  find  a 
better  match  for  her  heiress  than  you  would  be." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  Mrs.  Adair  is  a  strange 
old  woman,  and  if  she  thought  any  one  was  speculating 
on  the  chances  of  getting  her  money,  she'd  be  very  apt  to 
throw  them  over,  as  you  express  it.  It  is  my  belief,  that 
if  Miss  Coyle  had  not  shown  too  great  a  willingness  to 
be  influenced  by  her,  she  would  have  had  no  rival 
brought  to  Riverdale.  It  is  very  difficult  to  deal  with 
a  jealous  old  woman  almost  in  her  dotage,  and  I  hardly 
think  Mrs.  Adair  treated  Claudia  fairly." 

"What  claims  had  that  handsome  adventuress  upon 
her?"  asked  his  father,  sternly.  "Mrs.  Adair  is  by  no 
means  in  her  dotage ;  she  is  a  clear-headed  woman,  and 
very  rightly  decided  that  among  her  own  kindred  she 
could  find  one  better  deserving  of  her  favors  than  Claudia 
Coyle.  The  young  girl  she  has  brought  here  is  more 
likely  to  retain  her  place  in  her  aunt's  good  graces  than 
a  more  artful  and  experienced  person." 

"You  may  be  right,  sir,  but  I  think  the  Cliffords 
will  get  the  better  of  all  who  come  to  Riverdale  with  the 
hope  of  rivalling  them  with  the  old  dame." 

"  So  you  think  that,  do  you  ?  "  was  the  sarcastic  reply. 
"  Now  /  happen  to  know  that  Dick  Clifford  could  have 
got  the  whole  by  marrying  Laura  Adair,  and  he  refused 
her.  Jasper,  in  like  manner,  could  have  been  the  winner, 
if  he  had  listened  to  the  old  lady's  proposal  to  take 
Claudia,  and,  with  her,  the  reversion  of  the  estate." 

"How  did  you  find  that  out?     It  sounds  incredible." 

"  Yet  it  is  perfectly  true ;  and  I  heard  it  from  Mrs. 
Adair  herself.  She  has  always  confided  her  troubles  to 
me ;  but  of  course  I  tell  you  this  in  confidence." 


THE     BROOKE     FAMILY.  245 

"  If  that  is  true,  then  Clare  Desmond  is  designed  for 
either  the  father  or  the  son.  I  may  flirt  with,  her  as 
much  as  I  please,  and  it  will  not  alter  her  destiny." 

"  Do  not  jump  to  conclusions  so  rapidly.  Mr.  Clifford 
is  too  old  to  make  a  fool  of  himself  with  a  wife  of  seven- 
teen ;  and  Jasper  has  offended  the  old  lady  so  deeply  by 
his  contumacy  with  regard  to  Claudia,  that  even  if  the 
young  people  fell  in  love  with  each  other,  I  believe  she 
would  put  her  veto  on  such  a  marriage." 

"And  yet  you  declare  she  is  not  in  her  dotage.  If  she 
took  a  fancy  to  make  a  match  between  Jasper  and 
Claudia  when  she  was  infatuated  with  the  latter,  would 
it  not  be  far  better  to  make  one  between  him  and 
Clare?" 

"I  thought  you  were  in  love  with  the  young  lady 
yourself?  "  said  the  doctor,  dryly. 

Walter  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Yes,  in  my  way,  but  it's  only  skin  deep.  I  am  not 
going  to  make  a  fool  of  myself  by  asking  any  girl  to 
marry  me,  unless  I  am  perfectly  sure  of  the  ground  I 
stand  on.  Mrs.  Adair  may  pretend  to  be  confidential 
with  you,  but  she  has  not  told  you  what  she  has  most  at 
heart — a  union  between  her  godson  and  her  heiress.  I 
saw  her  smile  complacently  more  than  once  at  dinner 
when  the  two  seemed  interested  in  what  they  were  saying 
to  each  other.  Depend  upon  -it,  pater,  the  old  woman 
has  found  out  that  the  best  way  to  make  young  people 
fall  in  love  with  each  other  is  to  make  a  show  of 
opposition." 

"  I  cannot  agree  with  you,  and  if  you  would  only  be 
in  earnest  I  think  your  chance  of  success  would  be  very 
good.  For  a  long  time  I  have  not  seen  a  girl  I  approve 
of  as  entirely  as  I  do  of  Miss  Desmond." 


246       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

"  Very  well,  then ;  I  am  content  to  take  my  chances. 
I  can  '  take  opportunity  by  the  forelock/  and  have  a  nice 
time  flirting  with  that  pretty  creature,  till  I  find  out 
what  Mrs.  Adair's  views  for  her  young  relation  really 
are.  I  am  not  a  marrying  man,  pater,  but  if  the  old  lady 
would  come  down  handsomely,  and  the  young  one  was 
dreadfully  in  love  with  me,  I  can't  say  but  I  might  be 
tempted  to  the  folly  you  wish  me  to  perpetrate." 

"  You  will  never  be  serious,  Walter.  I  don't  know 
where  you  get.  your  lightness  of  nature  from ;  you  are 
not  like  your  sainted  mother,  and  still  less  do  you 
resemble  me.  To  me  life  has  been  almost  a  tragedy ;  to 
you  it  is  simply  a  farce." 

"  Better  the  last  than  the  first,  father.  '  Man  struts 
his  little  hour  upon  the  stage;'  of  course  the  im- 
mortal bard  meant  the  comic  stage,  for  we  cannot  rant 
through  life  as  the  tragic  hero  does.  '  Variety's  the  spice 
of  life,'  and  I've  found  it  true  so  far  as  women  are  con- 
cerned. Don't  ask  me  to  devote  myself  exclusively  to 
one  as  long  as  the  'Cynthia  of  the  minute'  has  such 
charms  for  me." 

"You  are  an  absurd  coxcomb  !  "  said  his  father,  irrita- 
bly ;  "  and  it  is  but  time  wasted  in  trying  to  induce  you 
to  act  like  a  sensible  man.  Here  we  are  at  the  landing, 
and  I  am  glad  of  it,  for  I  am  sick  of  you  and  your 
folly." 

The  boat  grounded,  and  the  two  got  out,  and  the  oars- 
man chained  the  light  craft  up  under  a  shelter  erected 
for  the  purpose. 

On  the  rising  ground,  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the 
landing,  stood  one  of  those  irregular  houses,  built  at 
different  times,  and  forming  an  incongruous  whole,  but 


THE     BROOKE     FAMILY.  247 

often  more  agreeable  to  live  in  than  more  pretentious 
abodes.  A  piazza  extended  the  whole  length  of  the 
front,  and  there  was  a  wealth  of  shade  around  it  most 
welcome  at  that  season  of  the  year. 

Dr.  Brooke  was  a  widower,  with  this  only  son  and  a 
daughter  three  years  older  than  Walter.  Judith  kept 
house  for  him,  and  cared  for  little  beyond  her  own 
home. 

Dr.  Brooke  had  accumulated  a  handsome  fortune  in 
his  profession,  and  at  sixty  he  retired  to  this  country 
place,  which  was  bequeathed  to  him  by  a  brother,  to 
whose  large  estate  he  also  fell  heir. 

At  the  age  of  thirty-five  he  had  married  a  lady  to 
whom  he  had  been  many  years  engaged.  She  had  no 
fortune,  and  until  success  in  his  profession  was  secured, 
her  family  would  not  permit  her  to  give  him  her  hand. 

A  man  of  deep,  concentrated  nature,  with  him  to  love 
once  was  to  love  forever,  and  when,  at  the  end  of  the 
fifth  year  of  their  union,  his  wife  died,  he  was  inconsol- 
able ;  he  had  never  thought  of  giving  her  a  successor, 
and  it  was  whispered  that  he  always  slept  with  a  small 
marble  bust  of  the  deceased  Mrs.  Brooke  near  his  pillow. 
He  invoked  her  image  on  all  occasions,  and  seemed  ever 
to  be  conscious  of  her  presence  near  him. 

As  Mrs.  Brooke  had  not  been  beautiful,  and  the  doctor 
was  a  hard,  dry-looking  man,  who  had  not  the  slightest 
sense  of  the  ridiculous,  the  comments  of  the  outside  world 
upon  the  scenes  sometimes  witnessed  in  his  drawing- room 
were  often  more  amusing  than  complimentary  to  the 
actors  in  them. 

He  had  a  literary  mania  too,  and  held  soirees  at  his 
house,  whenever  a  person  of  any  pretensions  to  distinc- 


248      A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

tion  in   that  line  chanced  to  come  into  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

As  the  two  gentlemen  approached  the  house,  a  tall, 
slender  woman  of  twenty-eight,  with  an  angular  figure, 
and  a  quantity  of  unmanageable-looking  hair,  arose  from 
the  low  rocking-chair  on  Avhich  she  had  been  seated,  and 
came  forward  with  something  like  animation  in  her  light 
blue  eyes. 

"  Oh  !  papa,  I  have  something  to  tell  you  that  I  know 
will  delight  you.  Who  do  you  think  has  come  to  visit 
Mrs.  Simpson  ?  Some  one  you  will  be  charmed  to  meet 
again." 

"  But,  my  dear,  from  that  vague  description  how  can 
I  guess?  There  are  so  many  old  friends  I  should  be 
glad  to  meet  once  more  before  this  earthly  pilgrimage 
ends,  and  Mrs.  Simpson  has  so  many  visitors  in  the 
summer." 

•     "But  one — one  above  all  was  our  delight,  when  she 
shone  upon  us  as  the  incarnation  of  genius." 

"  Ye  gods !  not — not  Aspasia !  "  cried  Walter,  before 
his  father  could  speak,  but  there  was  very  little  elation. 
in  the  tone  of  his  voice. 

The  saturnine  face  of  the  doctor  lighted  up. 

"Is  it— is  it  really  Mrs.  Harte?  It  will  indeed  be  a 
great  pleasure  to  me  to  meet  a  lady  who  combines  in 
herself  so  many  attractions." 

"  Yes,  papa,  it  is  Aspasia  Harte,  and  she  has  been  here 
to-day.  I  invited  her  to  a  soiree  next  week,  and  she 
accepted,  on  the  condition  that  you  and  Walter  should 
call  to  see  her  before  that  time." 

Dr.  Brooke's  face  became  less  radiant. 

"I  seldom  call  on  ladies,  as  you  know,  but  Walter 
will  of  course  Day  his  ro?pects  to  I1  or  without  delay." 


THE     BROOKE     FAMILY.  249 

Walter  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  made  a  light 
grimace ;  but  before  he  could  reply,  Judith  said : 

"Indeed,  papa,  Aspasia  will  expect  that  courtesy  from 
you  too.  She  knows  you  were  at  Mrs.  Adair's  to-day." 

"  That  is  very  different.  Mrs.  Adair  is  one  of  the 
oldest  friends  I  have  in  the  world,  and  your  fascinating 
friend  must  be  satisfied  with  the  homage  of  my  son.  I 
am  no  longer  '  a  squire  of  dames.' " 

"I  will  take  on  myself  all  the  courtesy  business,"  said 
Walter,  rather  brusquely;  "so  you  may  hold  yourself 
absolved  from  that  bore." 

"Walter!" 

Both  voices  simultaneously  pronounced  his  name  in 
accents  of  astonishment  and  rebuke,  and  after  an  expres- 
sive pause  Judith  said,  in  mocking  tones  : 

"  I  thought  you  were  devoted  to  Aspasia  Harte — that 
you  looked  on  her  as  something  almost  superhuman." 

"Well,  I  admit  that  I  was  humbugged  by  her,  for  she 
is  an  awful  humbug.  That  poetry  she  declaimed  as  her 
own  I  found  afterward  in  an  old  magazine  at  Mrs. 
Adair's  that  was  published  thirty  years  ago.  Claudia 
Coyle  brought  it  to  my  notice,  for  you  know  she  and  the 
fair  Aspasia  did  not  affiliate." 

"  Of  course  not :  one  is  a  schemer,  and  the  other  is 
'open  as  day  to  melting  charity.'  Jam  not  an  admirer 
of  Miss  Coyle,  you  know." 

"  Nor  am  I  particularly,  since  I  have  seen  her  rival ; 
there  is  a  girl  after  your  own  heart,  Judith,  full  of  life, 
poetry  and  feeling.  Miss  Desmond  is  indeed  a  rara 
avis." 

"  Yes,  I  know  ;  every  new  goose  is  a  swan  with  you. 
Not  that  I  mean  to  say  that  Miss  Desmond  is  a  goose, 


250       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

though  somebody  else  I  could  name  might  merit  that 
name." 

"  Thank  you.  I  don't  think  the  simile  holds  good ; 
for  those  feathered  bipeds  are  not  like  me,  'to  one  thing 
constant  never.'  I  had  Aspasia  on  the  brain  last  year ; 
this  one,  I  am  destined  to  be  in  as  bad  a  way  about  our 
charming  young  neighbor." 

Judith  tossed  her  head,  and  her  hair  fell  down  in  a 
shower  around  her  plain  but  not  unattractive  face.  She 
knew  she  was  not  handsome,  and  cared  very  little  about 
it ;  for  she  had  good  sense  enough  to  know  that  clever- 
ness and  money  could  make  amends  for  that  deficiency. 
One  peculiarity  about  her  hair  was,  that  it  was  always 
falling  down,  and  she  whisked  it  up  in  so  rapid  a  manner 
that  the  ends  were  always  sticking  out,  as  if  resentful 
of  and  determined  to  evade  the  confinement  of  the  comb. 

While  this  sparring  went  on  between  herself  and  her 
brother,  Dr.  Brooke  stalked  on  to  the  house,  thinking  of 
the  pretty  widow  whose  advent  had  been  announced. 

When  he  was  out  of  hearing,  Walter  asked  : 

"  Do  you  know  what  has  brought  Aspasia  back  to  this 
neighborhood?  Like  a  hawk,  she  flies  straight  to  her 
quarry,  and  the  pater  is  the  prey  she  is  after  now.  How 
could  you  be  so  absurd  as  to  rejoice  in  her  advent?" 

"  Nonsense !  it  is  you  she  admires,  and  pater  is  old 
enough  to  be  her  father." 

"  That  does  not  signify ;  she  is  after  him,  I  tell  you, 
and  she'll  take  him  if  she  can  get  him." 

"  She  may  if  she  can  drag  his  heart  out  of  the  marble 
mausoleum  in  which  our  mother  lies.  He  is  quite  safe 
from  her  flatteries  and  cajoleries.  I  see  through  Aspasia 
as  plainly  as  you  do,  but  she  is  great  fun  to  me ;  and  be- 


THE     BROOKE     FAMILY.  251 

sides,  I  think  she  has  some  good  in  her,  with  all  her 
pretension." 

"Do  you  know,  Judith,  that  I  have  doubts  about 
those  pretty  stories  she  read  to  us  with  so  much  pathos, 
and  declared  to  be  her  own  composition  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  agree  with  you  there,  for  she  is  certainly  a 
woman  of  genius,  though  she  may  not  write  poetry.  If 
the  idol  is  dethroned,  pray  don't  try  to  trample  it  in  the 
dust,  Walter.  That  is  hardly  fair." 

"  I  won't  unless  she  comes  it  to  strong  over  the  pater. 
I  sha'n't  submit  to  have  him  bamboozled  by  a  pretty 
woman  after  he  has  passed  the  age  of  discretion.  You 
know,  or  you  have  heard,  that  there  is  no  fool  like  an 
old  fool." 

"  Respectful !  You  forget  what  the  Bible  says  about 
calling  a  brother  such  a  name,  or  you  would  be  more 
careful  about  applying  it  to  our  father."' 

The  head  of  the  speaker  was  tossed  again,  with  very 
much  the  action  of  a  spirited  Arabian,  and  down  came 
the  hair,  to  be  flirted  up  in  the  same  summary  manner 
as  before. 

"  Oh,  he  is  wise  enough,  as  far  as  that  goes,  and  you 
put  rather  a  strong  interpretation  on  my  words.  The 
old  man  bores  me  about  marrying,  but  I  think  he  is 
sound  in  mind  for  all  that.  If  he  thinks  a  matrimonial 
yoke  good  for  me,  why  sha'n't  a  bewitching  widow  put 
it  in  his  head  that  it  will  be  equally  good  for  him?" 

"  Walter,  how  can  you  even  hint  such  a  thing,  when 
you  know  that  mamma's  bust  is  always  kept  on  his 
writing-table;  that  he  sleeps  with  it  near  his  pillow, 
and  holds  constant  communion  with  her  spirit.  You 
know  with  what  solemnity  he  often  repeats  to  us  the 
counsels  he  believes  he  receives  from  her." 


252       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN     A     FOETUNE. 

"He  reads  Swedenborgian  books,  and  addles  his 
brains,  that  is  all.  He  is  sensible  enough  on  every  other 
subject  except  that,  and  marrying  me  off.  I'll  give  him 
carte  blanche  for  the  first,  though,  if  he  will  let  me  alone 
about  the  last." 

"You  are  always  falling  in  love;  then  why  not 
marry?" 

"  Why  ?  Did  you  never  go  through  a  garden  of  beau- 
tiful roses,  culling  each  one  you  thought  perfection,  and 
then  casting  it  away  as  something  more  attractive  caught 
your  fancy?  That  is  just  my  case  about  women.  Each, 
in  her  turn,  is  the  most  charming  of  her  sex  till  another 
comes  on  the  carpet.  It  is  my  failing;  but  I  am  going 
to  try  to  fix  my  heart  on  this  new  charmer,  and  be  con- 
stant to  her.  I  have  promised  to  make  love  to  her  in 
earnest,  and  I  am  going  to  try  it." 

"It  is  Miss  Desmond,  of  course,  who  is  to  fix  your 
wandering  fancies.  I  think  old  Goody  might  have  asked 
me  to  be  of  your  party  to-day." 

"Think  of  speaking  of  that  aristocratic  old  dame  as 
Goody !  You  would  be  banished  forever  from  the  para- 
dise of  Riverdale,  if  Mrs.  Adair  even  suspected  such 
lack  of  respect.  Claudia  don't  particularly  like  you,  you 
know,  and  she  holds  her  own  there  yet." 

Judith  made  an  expressive  grimace. 

"  For  the  present  we  will  let  Miss  Coyle  pass.  Was 
my  father  really  so  much  taken  with  the  new  favorite 
that  he  urged  you  to  pay  your  court  to  her?" 

"  He  insists  that  I  can  marry  her,  and  if  I  can,  I  must. 
A  fine  old  autocrat,  isn't  he,  to  dispose  of  me  in  so  sum- 
mary a  manner?" 

"  What's  the  value  of  an  autocrat  who  doesn't  enforce 


THE     BROOKE     FAMILY.  253 

his  decrees  ?  To  the  end,  you  will  be  fickle  as  a  but- 
terfly, and  Miss  Desmond  will  enchain  you  no  longer 
than  another  fair  one  comes  along  to  claim  your  alle- 
giance. There  is  the  bell  for  supper,  and  pater  doesn't 
like  to  be  kept  waiting." 

The  two  walked  the  length  of  the  piazza,  and  at  the 
farthest  end  passed  through  a  door  opening  into  a  large 
square  room  panelled  with  oak,  but  well  lighted  by 
four  large  windows,  opening  on  one  side  toward  the 
river,  and  on  the  other  upon  a  large,  well-kept  flower 
garden. 

The  furniture  was  plain  and  old-fashioned,  and  the 
Brussels  carpet  on  the  floor  was  so  worn  and  faded  that 
nearly  all  the  bright  coloring  had  disappeared.  But  the 
sideboard  was  covered  with  silver  ware,  kept  with  that 
extreme  care  on  which  a  Virginia  housewife  of  other 
days  prided  herself. 

The  room,  with  all  its  belongings,  had  an  antique 
look,  and  the  old  doctor,  with  his  thin,  strongly-marked 
face  and  silvery  hair,  harmonized  with  his  surroundings. 
He  was  one  of  those  men  who  care  very  little  for  out- 
ward show,  though  his  establishment  was  conducted  on 
the  most  liberal  scale,  and  all  dependent  upon  him  had 
every  necessary  comfort. 

Dr.  Brooke  hated  change.  The  things  he  had  become 
accustomed  to  he  preferred  to  newer  and  more  fashiona- 
ble articles,  and  his  children  loved  and  respected  him  so 
much  that  they  sacrificed  their  own  wishes  sooner  than 
cause  him  the  slightest  annoyance. 

The  supper-table  was  very  neatly  spread,  the  food 
deliciously  prepared,  and  after  asking  a  blessing,  the 
three  seated  themselves  and  partook  of  it,  talking  cheer- 


254       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FOETUNE. 

fully,  and  waited  on  by  a  neat-handed  negress  with  an 
immense  turban  upon  her  head. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  meal,  Judith  asked : 

"  Who  shall  we  invite  to  the  soiree,  papa  ?  Aspasia 
is  in  high  feather,  and  I  think  she  would  like  to  make  a 
display.  She  tells  me  she  has  some  new  pieces  to  read 
that  have  not  appeared  in  print." 

"  Ah-h  !  I  only  hope  that  is  true,"  muttered  Walter. 

Judith  gave  him  an  indignant  glance,  and  Dr.  Brooke 
slowly  said : 

"  Then  we  must  have  an  appreciative  audience.  Ask 
such  people  as  care  for  displays  of  that  kind,  and,  if  pos- 
sible, exclude  those  giggling  girls  who  made  themselves 
so  absurd  at  the  last  one." 

"  But  that  is  impossible,  papa,  for  two  of  them  are  the 
Miss  Simpsons ;  and  as  Mrs.  Harte  is  visiting  there,  we 
cannot  exclude  the  young  ladies." 

"  True  enough ;  but  girls  of  fifteen  and  sixteen  are,  as 
a  rule,  great  nuisances,  unless  they  have  been  extremely 
well  brought  up.  Mrs.  Simpson  allows  her  young  people 
too  much  latitude.  It  was  not  so  in  my  day." 

"  I  suppose  not,  pater,  but  things  have  changed  since 
then.  Shall  I  ask  the  family  from  Eiverdale?" 

"  Of  course,  I  wish  you  to  pay  particular  attention  to 
Miss  Desmond.  She  is  a  young  girl  too,  but  a  quiet, 
lady-like  person,  with  much  cultivation.  She  will  appre- 
ciate our  fair  authoress." 

"  Very  well,  sir ;  I  will  go  over  to-morrow,  and  ask 
them  for  next  Thursday  week.  I  hope  I  shall  like  this 
young  lady  better  than  Miss  Coyle." 

"  Of  course  you  will,  for  she  is  a  person  easily  under- 
stood. I  have  ulterior  views  concerning  Miss  Desmond, 


THE     SYMPOSIUM.  255 

which  will  take  shape  after  I  have  consulted  my  sainted 
oracle." 

Judith  slightly  elevated  her  eyebrows,  and  exchanged 
a  significant  glance  with  her  brother,  as  they  arose  from 
the  table. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

THE    SYMPOSIUM. 

"A  yriSS  BROOKE  duly  made  her  call  and  the  invitation 
-^-VJL  Was  accepted  by  the  three  younger  people,  though 
Mrs.  Adair  and  Mr.  Clifford  declined.  The  old  lady 
rarely  left  home,  and  such  entertainments  were  not  to 
Mr.  Clifford's  taste. 

Judith  decided  in  her  own  mind  that  she  should  like 
Clare  Desmond  on  a  further  acquaintance,  and  she  told 
her  brother  he  would  be  very  difficult  to  please  if  this 
attractive  girl  did  not  win  him  to  love  her  at  once,  and 
forever. 

During  this  call,  Clare  had  flirted  with  Walter,  quite 
unconscious  that  a  person  of  his  stamp  could  have  any 
serious  intentions  with  regard  to  herself.  With  the 
giddiness  of  her  age,  she  thought  it  very  good  fun  to 
have  so  sentimental  an  adorer,  who,  amid  his  finest 
speeches,  was  evidently  thinking  more  of  the  effect  he 
produced,  than  of  the  lady  to  whom  they  were  addressed. 

The  evil  use  to  which  her  thoughtlessness  was  to  be 
put,  could  never  have  suggested  itself  to  a  candid,  con- 
fiding nature  like  hers,  and  Clare  made  herself  merry 
over  the  compliments  of  Walter  Brooke,  when  she  and 


256       A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

Claudia  were  left  together  after  the  departure  of  their 
visitors ;  the  latter  all  the  time  speculating  in  her  own 
mind  as  to  the  possibility  of  entangling  Clare  with  her 
new  admirer,  till  she  would  be  justified  in  asserting  to 
Mrs.  Adair  that  her  darling  project  of  bringing  about  a 
union  between  Jasper  and  her  new  protege  had  little 
prospect  of  success. 

Then  Mrs.  Adair  would  show  how  cold,  how  hard  she 
could  be,  and  in  her  despair,  the  poor  girl  would  turn  to 
her  love  potion  as  the  only  means  of  bringing  back  the 
old  feeling  of  regard  her  aunt  had  evidently  conceived 
for  her. 

That  she  would  succeed,  Claudia  had  no  doubt,  for 
Clare  Desmond,  sweet  and  lovable  as  she  was,  was  by  no 
means  a  pattern  young  lady.  She  had  great  fondness 
for  admiration,  love  of  amusement,  and  a  degree  of 
thoughtless  confidence  in  others,  which  peculiarly  fitted 
her  to  be  ensnared  by  a  more  crafty  person. 

To  all  outward  appearance,  Claudia  was  the  kindest 
and  most  considerate  of  friends,  and  in  spite  of  all  Clare 
had  been  told,  she  found  it  difficult  to  believe  her  false 
and  scheming.  % 

In  the  course  of  the  next  ten  days  Mrs.  Adair  gave 
two  large  dinner  parties,  at  which  her  niece  was  pre- 
sented to  her  guests,  and  great  was  the  satisfaction  of  the 
old  lady  at  the  almost  unanimous  verdict  that  her  future 
heiress  was  charming,  and  well  fitted  to  fill  the  position 
to  which  she  had  elevated  her. 

Invitations  were  accepted  in  return,  and  a  bevy  of  gay 
young  people  made  the  neighborhood  delightful  to  the 
new  debutant.  As  the  recognized  heiress  to  one  of  the 
best  estates  in  the  county,  and  the  representative  of  an 


THE     SYMPOSIUM.  257 

old  and  highly  respected  family,  Clare  found  herself  an 
object  of  attention  and  interest  wherever  she  appeared. 

This  life,  apparently  so  free  from  care,  so  brilliant  on 
the  surface,  possessed  great  charms  for  her,  and  she  was 
just  at  the  age  to  take  "all  the  goods  the  gods  provide," 
without  thinking  of  or  caring  for  the  serpent  whose  trail, 
according  to  the  poet,  is  over  them  all. 

Always  charmingly  dressed,  for  her  aunt  required  es- 
pecial attention  to  her  toilet,  admired,  sought  after,  flat- 
tered even  more  than  she  cared  to  be,  Clare  had  as 
utterly  cast  the  episode  of  John  Spiers  from  her  thoughts 
as  if  such  a  person  had  never  existed.  That  he  would 
not  dare  to  seek  her  here  she  was  well  aware,  and  she 
cast  all  thought  of  him  away,  as  something  too  disagree- 
able to  be  remembered.  How  weuld  she  have  shrunk 
and  trembled  if  she  had  known  that  his  influence  was 
constantly  around  her — that  every  action  of  her  life  only 
tended  to  place  her  more  completely  in  his  power ! 

She  had  written  long  letters  to  her  parents  describing 
her  new-found  relative,  and  the  lovely  home  in  which 
she  was  made  so  much  of;  and  the  answers  came,  bring- 
ing cheerful  accounts  of  affairs  at  Desmonia.  But  the 
intelligence  which  gave  Clare  the  most  satisfaction  was, 
that  John  Spiers  had  left  Portsmouth,  and  his  father 
stated  that  he  had  gone  away  on  another  long  voyage. 

It  was  true  enough  that  he  had  left  the  town,  but  not 
for  South  America,  as  was  supposed.  He  was  concealed 
not  many  miles  from  Kiverdale,  and  at  night  Claudia 
often  met  him  in  the  grounds,  though  she  was  careful  to 
avoid  the  side  of  the  house  from  which  the  windows  of 
Clare's  apartment  opened. 

He  was  very  impatient  at  the  delay  in  carrying  out 
16 


258        A    NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

their  plans,  though  he  knew  that  time  must  be  allowed 
to  bring  Clare  into  the  snare  prepared  for  her.  Claudia 
assured  him  that  all  was  going  on  as  well  as  possible  for 
their  interests.  That  their  young  victim  had  a  serious 
flirtation  on  her  hands  with  Walter  Brooke,  while  at  the 
same  time  she  and  Jasper  seemed  unable  to  withstand  the 
mutual  attraction  that  drew  them  together.  That,  too, 
should  be  made  to  play  into  their  hands  when  the  right 
time  came ;  and  the  two  revelled  in  the  thought  that  by 
the  time  autumn  began  to  put  on  its  livery,  the  fate  of 
the  unfortunate  girl  would  be  at  their  mercy. 

Thrown  together  every  day,  it  was  quite  true  that 
Jasper  and  Clare  had  both  found  out  that  they  cared 
more  for  each  other's  society  than  for  that  of  any  one 
else.  • 

As  Mr.  Clifford's  paternal  manner  to  her  had  not 
changed,  she  had  decided  that  it  was  not  the  elder  man 
her  aunt  wished  her  to  marry,  and  all  her  confidence  in 
Mr.  Clifford  returned  when  she  saw  how  unconscious  he 
was  of  the  dread  that  had  crept  into  her  own  mind. 

Clare's  heart  leaped  at  the  thought  that,  if  not  the 
father,  it  must  be  the  son  who  was  destined  by  Mrs. 
Adair  for  her  future  husband,  and  impressed  with  this 
belief,  she  used  such  innocent  coquetry  as  her  intuition 
told  her  would  be  most  irresistible  to  the  man  she  wished 
to  captivate. 

She  succeeded  better  than  she  believed,  for  Jasper, 
much  in  love  with  her  as  he  speedily  became,  would  not 
betray  his  passion,  lest  it  might  injure  her  interests  with 
her  aunt.  He  knew  himself  to  be  out  of  favor,  yet  he 
could  not  help  thinking  Mrs.  Adair's  course  very  sin- 
gular, for  she  placed  Clare  under  his  protection  whenever 


THE     SYMPOSIUM.  259 

she  went  from  home,  and  always  gave  him  the  injunction 
to  trust  her  with  no  one  else. 

If  she  had  not  hitherto  proved  herself  capricious  and 
difficult  to  understand,  Jasper  would  have  admitted  the 
delicious  thought  that  his  aunt  meant  to  give  himself  and 
Clare  opportunities  for  falling  in  love  with  each  other ; 
but  he  feared  to  act  on  this  supposition,  lest  it  might 
prove  the  ruin  of  the  girl  he  loved.  He  thought  he  kept 
his  secret  well,  but  the  keen  eyes  of  Claudia  Coyle  were 
upon  him,  and  she  understood  the  symptoms  too  well  to 
be  deceived. 

Aifairs  were  in  this  condition  when  the  evening  of  the 
soiree  at  Dr.  Brooke's  arrived. 

Walter  had  been  constant  in  his  devotions  to  the  new 
object  of  attraction,  and  to  pique  Jasper,  Clare  had  un- 
consciously given  him  a  degree  of  encouragement  which 
led  lookers-on  to  believe  that  young  Brooke  was  to  prove 
the  successful  candidate  for  the  favor  of  the  fair  heiress. 

The  evening  was  bright  and  balmy ;  the  flaming  hues 
of  sunset  were  reflected  in  the  placid  stream,  as  the  boat 
containing  Jasper  and  the  two  girls  was  rowed  by  two 
young  negroes  in  fanciful  linen  costumes  trimmed  with 
blue,  toward  the  landing  at  Brookover. 

Several  other  barges  with  gay-colored  awnings  were 
already  under  the  shelter  of  the  boat-house,  and  Clare 
gleefully  said : 

"  There  is  going  to  be  quite  a  party.  I  am  glad  of 
that.  Perhaps  the  doctor  will  let  us  dance,  after  the 
literary  part  of  the  entertainment  is  over." 

"  My  dear,"  said  Claudia,  "  Dr.  Brooke  would  think 
the  world  about  to  come  to  an  end,  if  any  one  attempted 
to  dance  in  his  house.  Everything  is  staid,  solemn  aud 


260       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

proper,  and  I  warn  you  to  be  on  your  good  behavior. 
He  would  expect  that  spiritual  wife  of  his  to  come  down 
in  the  midst  of  the  revellers,  if  they  attempted  to  skip 
about  his  floors  to  the  sound  of  music." 

"  Indeed  I  believe  the  doctor  would  enjoy  it,  for  I 
think  he  is  one  of  the  nicest  old  gentlemen  I  ever  saw, 
and  he  likes  to  see  young  people  happy.  Is  it  really  true 
that  he  talks  with  his  dead  wife?" 

"  He  says  he  does,  and  of  course  no  one  is  rude  enough 
to  contradict  him.  There  is  a  chair  in  his  room  in  which 
no  one  is  allowed  to  sit ;  it  is  sacred  to  his  wife,  and  he 
declares  that  he  can  see  her  in  it  when  she  comes  to 
confer  with  him,  as  she  always  does  at  his  summons." 

"I  wonder  if  such  a  thing  can  be  possible/'  said  Clare 
meditatively.  "  Dr.  Brooke  seems  a  sensible  man,  and 
it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  he  has  imagination  enough 
to  become  the  victim  of  an  illusion.  What  do  you  think, 
Mr.  Clifford  ?  " 

Jasper  started  at  the  sound  of  his  name,  and  in  some 
embarrassment,  said : 

"  Pardon  me ;  but  I  was  not  attending  to  the  conver- 
sation. Will  you  tell  me  again  what  it  is  that  you 
require  my  opinion  about  ?  " 

"Oh,  I  never  repeat,"  she  answered,  with  a  saucy 
smile.  "The  pearls  that  drop  from  my  lips  are  too 
precious  to  be  wasted  in  so  prodigal  a  manner." 

Claudia  laughed,  and  said : 

"As  my  utterances  are  not  so  valuable,  I  will  enlighten 
you,  Jasper.  Do  you  believe  in  the  reality  of  Dr. 
Brooke's  hallucination  regarding  his  deceased  wife  ?  " 

"  I  find  it  difficult  to  answer  that  question,  but  I  am 
certain  that  the  doctor  states  nothing  that  he  does  not 


THE     SYMPOSIUM.  261 

believe  strictly  true.  Like  many  men  of  his  profession, 
he  inclined  to  materialism;  as  that  belief  was  terrible  to 
him  after  the  loss  of  his  wife,  he  sought  for  some  tangible 
assurance  that  with  death  all  does  not  end  for  us.  He 
sought  this  everywhere,  and  finally  made  up  his  mind 
that  he  had  discovered  it  in  the  writings  of  Swedenborg. 
He  is  consoled  by  the  imaginary  presence  of  his  wife,  but 
what  reality  the  phantom  shape  may  have,  I  am  not 
prepared  to  say." 

"  He  makes  himself  very  absurd  about  the  wife  who 
has  been  dead  and  gone  more  than  twenty  years,"  said 
Claudia,  hardly.  "I  fancy  that  Mrs.  Harte  would  not 
object  to  become  Mrs.  Brooke  number  two,  from  some- 
thing I  saw  last  summer  when  she  was  here ;  if  she 
chooses,  I  think  she  will  put  to  rout  the  bust,  the  shade, 
and  the  curtained  picture.  But  I  must  not  tell  Clare 
about  that ;  it  would  forestall  half  the  amusement  of  the 
evening." 

Before  Clare  could  speak,  the  boat  came  up  to  the 
landing,  and  the  voice  of  Walter  Brooke  hailed  them,  as 
he  ran  down  the  slope  to  meet  them. 

"  Well  come  at  last,"  he  cried  out,  "  for  I  have  been 
watching  for  you  for  the  last  hour.  The  evening  is  so 
beautiful,  that  I  suppose  one  must  excuse  you  for  dawd- 
ling over  the  water  as  you  have  done." 

"  Has  the  queen  of  the  revels  arrived  ?  "  asked  Clare, 
as  she  gave  him  her  hand  and  sprang  on  shore. 

"  Not  the  one  crowned  with  bays,  but  the  queen  of 
love  and  beauty  stands  before  me  now,"  was  the  reply. 

Clare  laughed  and  blushed  at  this  open  flattery,  but 
she  was  not  displeased  that  Jasper  should  hear  it.  She 
permitted  Brooke  to  draw  her  hand  under  his  arm,  and 


262      A    NEW     WAY     TO     WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

they  walked  toward  the  house  chatting  gayly  together, 
while  Claudia  and  Jasper  followed  them ;  she  radiant, 
and  triumphant  over  the  success  she  anticipated  in  her 
nefarious  plans;  he  jealous,  and  angry  at  the  air  of 
possession  with  which  Walter  drew  Clare  to  his  side. 

"  She  cannot  be  in  earnest/'  he  thought,  "  for  she  gives 
me  such  sweet  looks  and  smiles  as  tempt  me  every  day 
to  say  something  to  her  that  would  be  the  ruin  of  both 
her  and  myself.  Oh,  if  she  were  alone  in  the  world ;  if 
others  were  not  interested  in  her  success  with  the  old 
lady,  I  would  speak  all  that  is  in.  my  heart,  and,  if  she 
consented,  brave  the  world  with  her,  winning  competence 
for  her  sake.  It  is  two  weeks  to-day  since  she  came  to 
Kiverdale ;  and  it  seemed  to  me,  from  the  first  hour  of 
meeting,  that  a  portion  of  my  very  self  had  come  to  me, 
to  remain  beside  me  forever.  My  aunt  is  cruel,  or  she 
would  take  me  into  favor  again,  and  give  Clare  to  me  as 
my  wife,  in  place  of  this  serpent  woman  gliding  along 
beside  me,  that  she  was  lately  so  anxious  for  me  to 
marry.  Oh,  life  !  oh,  fate !  thou  art  terrible  enigmas  to 
solve." 

When  he  had  wrought  himself  up  to  this  pitch, 
Claudia  scornfully  said : 

"  I  am  sorry  that  I  am  compelled  to  play  the  part  of 
Mademoiselle  De  Trop,  Jasper.  I  did  not  assume  it 
willingly,  yet  you  look  as  black  as  a  thunder-cloud  be- 
cause I  am  left  to  you." 

"  Pardon  me,  Claudia,"  he  hastily  replied.  "  My 
thoughts  had  wandered  far  from  you ;  and  if  my  face 
expressed  annoyance,  I  assure  you  that  it  was  not  because 
you  are  my  companion.  It  was — but  excuse  me,  I  will 
not  bore  you  with  the  cause  of  my  vexation." 


THE     SYMPOSIUM.  263 

"  It  would  be  a  waste  of  words  if  you  did,  for  I  com- 
prehend that  jealousy  is  at  the  foundation  of  it.  You 
have  let  the  pretty  face  of  Clare  Desmond  enthrall  you, 
though  you  must  know  that  for  you  there  can  be  no  hope 
in  that  quarter.  Mrs.  Adair  has  not,  and  will  not  for- 
give you  for  making  it  necessary  to  look  for  an  heiress 
among  the  kindred  whose  very  existence  she  has  hitherto 
ignored." 

"  My  aunt  should  rather  thank  me,  I  think,  for  being 
the  means  of  bringing  to  her  side  so  true  and  warm- 
hearted a  being  as  Miss  Desmond,  and  for  reminding  her 
that  natural  ties  are  stronger  than  those  formed  with  a 
stranger.  Excuse  me,  Miss  Coyle,  but  this  is  a  subject 
that  you  and  I  cannot  very  well  discuss." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  asked  Claudia,  tranquilly.  "  We  are  on 
even  ground.  You  angered  Mrs.  Adair  by  refusing  me, 
and  if  I  consented  to  accept  you,  it  was  not  because  I 
cared  for  you  in  the  least.  You  must  know  that  other 
motives  swayed  me  at  that  time." 

"  I  think  I  understood  your  motives  perfectly,  Miss 
Coyle.  I  never  gave  you  credit  for  anything  beyond 
self-interest." 

Claudia  laughed  bitterly. 

"  What  other  motive  should  sway  a  young  and  at- 
tractive woman  who  has  luxurious  tastes  and  great  am- 
bition to  become  a  leader  in  society  ?  You  disappointed 
my  aspirations,  Jasper  Clifford,  and  at  the  same  time 
ruined  your  own  future.  That  is  some  consolation  to  me, 
at  least." 

Jasper  smiled. 

"  I  am  young,  strong,  well  educated,  and  hopeful ; 
therefore  my  future  is  pretty  safe  in  my  own  hands.  I 


264       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

think  the  consolation  of  seeing  me  a  failure  will  be 
denied  to  you,  Miss  Coyle." 

"  In  one  thing  at  least  you  will  fail.  Clare  Desmond 
will  never  be  your  wife/'  was  the  taunting  reply ;  and 
with  this  Parthian  shaft  she  ascended  the  steps,  and  re- 
ceived and  returned  the  greeting  of  Miss  Brooke  with 
that  grace  and  sweetness  which  she  could  assume  at 
pleasure. 

Judith  was  very  simply  dressed  in  a  light  purple  mus- 
lin, with  a  pink  bow  at  her  throat,  and  another  in  her 
rebellious  hair,  which,  on  this  occasion,  had  been  dressed 
by  her  maid,  and  looked  much  more  tidy  than  usual. 

She  greeted  the  new  arrivals  cordially,  and  led  the  way 
to  the  drawing-room.  This  was  in  a  portion  of  the 
house  which  had  been  built  half  a  century  later  than  the 
oak-panelled  dining-room ;  the  furniture  was  also  of  a 
more  modern  era  than  that  of  the  remainder  of  the  house, 
though  it  was  of  much  more  antique  fashion  than  any- 
thing to  be  found  in  the  luxurious  mansion  of  River- 
dale. 

There  were  some  good  pictures  on  the  walls,  and  but 
one  mirror,  an  old-fashioned  mantel-glass,  divided  into 
three  portions  by  gilt  mouldings,  and  the  different  re- 
flections given  by  each  portion  was  a  source  of  great 
amusement  to  two  young,  ruddy-faced  girls,  the  daugh- 
ters of  Mrs.  Simpson,  who  had  been  sent  on  in  advance 
of  their  mother  and  her  guest. 

The  central  mirror  gave  a  tolerable  image  of  one 
standing  before  it;  the  one  on  the  right  hand  broadened 
the  face  and  figure  to  an  absurd  degree ;  while  the  left 
one  lengthened  the  visages  of  Miss  Phoebe  Simpson  and 
her  sister  till  Walter  Brooke,  with  his  usual  felicity  at 


THE     SYMPOSIUM.  265 

quotation,  compared  them  to  "linked  sweetness  long 
drawn  out,"  as  they  stood  before  it  with  their  arms  wound 
around  each  other. 

"  Oh,  dear !  Mr.  Brooke,  you  always  find  something 
nice  to  say,"  giggled  Phoebe,  and  then  she  turned  with 
much  effusion  to  welcome  Clare. 

In  a  recess  on  one  side  of  the  chimney  hung  a  veiled 
picture,  and  as  they  passed  it,  Clare  asked  her  young 
companion : 

"  Why  is  that  concealed  from  view  ?    Is  it  a  portrait  ?  " 

"  Wait  and  see,"  replied  Phoebe,  with  a  burst  of  stifled 
laughter.  "  Oh,  my !  it  is  such  fun  to  come  to  these 
literary  symposia,  as  that  dear,  solemn  old  doctor  calls 
them,  and  to  see  him  unveil  his  goddess." 

About  twenty  persons  were  present,  all  known  to  Clare, 
and  they  now  crowded  around  her  and  offered  greetings, 
and  made  inquiries  about  Mrs.  Adair,  while  Claudia, 
with  curling  lip,  stood  to  one  side,  bitterly  thinking : 

"  The  last  time  I  was  in  this  house,  all  that  homage 
was  offered  to  me,  because  it  was  then  whispered  and 
believed  that  /would  inherit  Riverdale*.  Never  mind — 
I  can  bide  my  time ;  and  that  pretty  doll,  who  is  now 
the  lady  paramount,  has  little  cause  to  exult  in  her  pros- 
pects. I  begin  to  hate  her,  and  I  will  compass  her 
destruction  as  ruthlessly  as  Csesar  Borgia  crushed  those 
who  stood  in  his  way." 

At  this  juncture  the  tall  form  of  Dr.  Brooke  entered, 
and  like  a  covey  of  bright  plumaged  birds,  the  ladies 
gathered  around  him  and  chattered  gayly,  thanking  him 
for  the  treat  in  store  for  them  in  hearing  the  fair  Aspasia 
read  her  own  productions. 

"  The  feast  of  reason^  and  the  flow  of  soul,"  quoted 


266       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

Walter.  "That  is  as  original,  I  think,  as  anything  we 
shall  hear  to-night;  hey,  Miss  Coyle?" 

"  Very  likely/'  replied  Claudia,  indifferently.  "  Lit- 
erary pretenders  are  apt  to  poach  on  others'  preserves." 

Phoebe  Simpson  overheard  her,  and  with  a  giggle, 
said  to  her  sister  : 

"  I'll  tell  Mrs.  Harte  that.  She  takes  me  to  task  for 
laughing  so  much,  and  I  shall  like  to  put  her  down." 

"Tiresome  old  thing  !"  replied  the  younger  one;  "all 
the  fun  we  get  out  of  her  is  in  seeing  her  show  off  with 
that  solemn  old  owl,  who  makes  her  believe  she's  a 
goddess." 

"  Don't  speak  so  loud,  Kitty,"  said  Walter  Brooke, 
"  lest  the  pater  should  retort  by  saying  that  to  be  an  owl 
is  better  than  to  be  a  parrot." 

"Oh,  dear !   I  didn't  mean  that  you  should  hear  that." 

"  I  dare  say  not.     But  we  are  quits,  I  think." 

A  slight  bustle  took  place  at  the  door,  and  two  ser- 
vants came  in  bearing  a  small  table  covered  with  a 
crimson  cloth  richly  embroidered.  They  placed  this  in 
front  of  the  fireplace,  and,,  presently  returned  with  a 
wreath  of  laurel  leaves  ingeniously  woven  together,  and 
a  massive  wax  candle  such  as  are  used  on  the  altars  of 
Catholic  churches,  and  placed  them  upon  it. 

"  The  fane  is  ready,  but  the  priestess  tarries,"  said  the 
old  doctor  in  his  solemn  tones,  and  another  burst  of  sup- 
pressed giggling  from  the  two  Simpsons  caused  him  to 
look  severely  at  them,  and  say : 

"  If  I  were  prepared,  I  would  give  a  brief  lecture  to 
fill  up  the  time  till  the  fair  Aspasia  arrives,  and  my 
theme  would  be,  the  manners  of  the  rising  generation." 

With  crimson  faces,  the  two  offenders  shrank  behind 


GEEEK  MEETS  GREEK.        267 

the  other  guests,  but  Phoebe  consoled  herself  by  whisper- 
ing to  her  sister : 

"  He's  a  horrid  old  dunce,  anyway,  and  Aspasia  will 
end  by  twisting  him  around  her  fingers,  see  if  she  don't." 

A  diversion  was  made  in  their  favor  by  the  arrival  of 
a  carriage,  and  Dr.  Brooke  went  to  the  door  to  receive 
the  honored  guest  of  the  evening. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

GREEK    MEETS   GREEK. 

A  FAT,  good-humored-looking  woman  came  in  fan- 
ning herself  violently,  and  nodded  patronizingly 
to  the  assembled  guests. 

"  Couldn't  get  here  before — something  happened  to 
the  harness,  and  Bob  had  to  mend  it  the  best  way  he 
could ;  but  we  are  all  right  now,  Doctor,  and  Mrs.  Harte 
will  soon  get  over  her  fright.  She  has  gone  with  Miss 
Judith  to  take  some  sal  volatile ;  so  you  must  excuse  her 
for  a  little  while." 

The  doctor  bowed,  and  the  next  moment  a  bustle  at 
the  door  announced  the  arrival  of  the  star  of  the 
evening. 

A  figure  floated  in  which  offered  a  remarkable  contrast 
to  the  plainly  attired  Judith,  who  entered  with  her. 

Mrs.  Harte  was  a  tall,  well-developed  woman  of 
thirty-five,  though  she  confessed  to  only  twenty-five, 
and  the  arts  of  the  toilet  enabled  her  to  maintain  the 


268       A     NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

appearance  of  youth.  She  was  a  brunette,  with  large, 
languishing  black  eyes,  and  a  heavy  suit  of  hair  of  the 
same  color,  which  was  wreathed  in  classic  braids  around 
her  head. 

She  was  dressed  in  flowing  white  robes  of  some  thin, 
glistening  material,  gathered  in  at  the  waist  by  a  girdle 
fastened  in  front  with  a  fine  cameo.  The  wide,  open 
sleeves  were  looped  up  to  the  shoulder  Avith  gems  of  the 
same  kind,  and  on  her  bare  neck  and  arms  were  necklace 
nnd  bracelets  to  match. 

Mrs.  Harte  Avas  a  handsome,  dashing,  fashionable- 
looking  woman,  but  there  was  not  a  ray  of  genius  in  her 
face.  The  soft  lustre  of  her  eyes,  the  full  red  lips,  the 
rather  heavy  chin,  cleft  with  a  deep  indentation,  were 
all  sensual — of  "  the  earth,  earthy  " — and  breathed  little 
of  the  divinity  of  that  heaven-born  inspiration  given  to 
but  few  of  earth's  children. 

She  fluttered  into  the  room  with  the  air  of  a  woman 
who  expects  homage  as  her  right.  Bowing  in  a  superior 
way  to  the  company  assembled  there  in  her  honor,  she 
made  her  way  with  extended  hands  to  the  master  of 
the  house. 

In  perfectly  modulated  tones,  she  said  : 

"Dear  Doctor — dearest  friend,  how  happy  I  am  to 
meet  you  once  more !  Naughty  man !  V,rhy  did  you 
not  come  over  with  Mr.  Brooke  when  he  called  at  the 
Oaks?  I  have  been  vexing  my  heart  with  the  thought 
that  my  friends  at  Brookover  have  become  estranged 
from  me;  for  your  son,  who  was  my  shadow  when  I 
Avas  here  last,  has  been  to  see  me  but  twice.  I  must 
resign  myself  to  that,  I  suppose,  as  I  hear  he  has  found 
'  metal  more  attractive/  " 


GREEK  MEETS  GREEK.         269 

The  old  gentleman  listened  to  this  overflow  of  words 
with  a  curious  blending  of  reverence  and  annoyance,  for 
he  thought  this  woman  the  most  charming  and  gifted  of 
her  sex,  and  the  allusion  to  Walter  as  a  former  wor- 
shipper at  her  shrine  pained  him,  he  could  scarcely  have 
explained  why. 

With  some  embarrassment,  he  replied  : 

"I  never  call  on  ladies,  as  you  know,  Mrs.  Harte. 
As  to  Walter,  young  people  will  be  fickle,  but  we  elders 
know  how  to  excuse  their  inconstancy.  I  have  had 
grievous  sorrows  to  bear  in  my  earthly  pilgrimage :  one 
at  least  that  has  saddened  me  deeply,  and  would  have 
overwhelmed  me  but  for  the  grace  vouchsafed  to  me  in 
the  spiritual  communion  mercifully  permitted  between 
the  original  of  yonder  shadow  on  the  wall  and  myself," 
pointing  to  the  portrait  of  his  deceased  wife. 

Aspasiacast  a  reverential  glance  toward  the  plain-look- 
ing rival  she  fully  intended  to  dethrone,  and  with  a  soft 
sigh,  replied : 

"Alas !  yes — I  know  the  story  of  your  devotion  to 
your  lost  one.  It  is  beautiful,  it  is  touching ;  and  I,  at 
least,  have  no  doubt  as  to  the  reality  of  the  spirit  influ- 
ence she  exerts  over  you." 

"Because  you  possess  the  intuitions  of  genius,  and 
your  gifted  soul  can  understand  what  those  of  coarser 
mould  can  only  scoff  at.  But  pardon  me,  dearest  lady; 
I  am  monopolizing  you,  while  our  friends  are  expectantly 
awaiting  the  exhibition  of  your  surpassing  talents  as  an. 
improvisatrice  and  declaimer." 

Mrs.  Harte  was  always  ready  to  exhibit,  and  she  had 
declared  to  Walter  Brooke  that  a  new  talent  had  been 
added  to  her  marvellous  gifts  since  she  was  last  at 


270       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN     A    FOETUNE. 

Brookover.  She  found  herself  able  to  improvise  fluently 
on  any  given  subject,  and  on  this  evening  she  would 
exhibit  her  newly-developed  power. 

For  days  past  she  had  been  arduously  committing  to 
memory  an  old  poem  on  resignation,  which  she  had 
found  in  an  obscure  collection  published  in  England 
many  years  before.  She  flattered  herself  that  no  one 
present  had  ever  seen  or  heard  of  the  volume,  though  for 
her  it  unfortunately  happened  that  Claudia  Coyle  had  a 
copy  of  that  very  work,  which  was  almost  the  only  thing 
she  possessed  that  had  belonged  to  her  father. 

Aspasia  had  privately  informed  Mrs.  Simpson  that 
some  preparation  was  necessary,  as  she  was  but  a  tyro  as 
yet  in  such  exhibitions ;  and  as  she  wished  the  display 
at  Dr.  Brooke's  to  be  a  success,  she  asked  of  her  friend 
the  favor  to  enable  her  to  distinguish  the  paper  on 
which  the  subject  proposed  by  her  was  written,  that  she 
might  be  sure  to  select  that  from  the  others  that  were 
offered. 

It  unfortunately  happened  that  Phoebe  Simpson  over- 
heard this  little  arrangement,  and  prepared  her  plans 
accordingly,  for  she  had  no  love  for  Mrs.  Harte,  as  has 
already  been  told. 

Aspasia  turned  with  a  smile  to  the  little  altar  which 
had  been  decorated  in  her  honor,  and  making  a  slight 
obeisance  to  the  guests,  who  had  ranged  themselves  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  room,  said : 

"  I  will  first  read  a  sketch  of  my  own,  embodying  the 
history  of  a  beautiful  woman  I  have  met,  and  then,  my 
friends,  you  will,  as  many  of  you  as  choose,  write  a  suit- 
able subject  for  improvisation.  One  of  the*m  I  will, 
select,  and  proceed  to  poetize  it,  as  is  the  custom  in  Italy, 


GREEK  MEETS  GREEK.         271 

that  classic  land  in  which  the  last  few  months  of  my  life 
have  been  passed." 

There  was  a  murmur  of  applause  and  assent,  and 
throwing  herself  into  an  attitude,  Asjjasia  unrolled  a 
small  scroll  of  paper  wiiich  Mrs.  Simpson  held  ready  in 
her  fat  hand,  and  began  to  read  in  the  declamatory  style 
of  a  trained  actor.  She  had  in  fact  taken  lessons  from  a 
distinguished  tragedian,  and  her  voice  and  elocution  were 
both  good. 

As  the  fair  reader  went  on,  Claudia  Coyle  became 
almost  as  white  as  the  dress  she  wore ;  she  set  her  teeth 
hardly  together,  and  a  wild  glitter  of  rage  and  fear  came 
into  her  eyes,  for  her  own  unhappy  story  was  the  subject 
Mrs.  Harte  had  chosen  for  the  amusement  of  the  com- 
pany, knowing,  too,  that  in  all  probability  she  would  be 
present  at  the  reading. 

For  the  last  eight  months  the  widow  had  been  travel- 
ling in  Europe,  and  there  had  doubtless  taken  pains  to 
ferret  out  the  painful  details  she  made  so  unscrupulous  a 
use  of.  Even  the  name  of  Reginald  Gordon  was  given, 
trusting  to  the  chances  that  no  one  present,  but  the  one 
she  intended  to  victimize,  had  ever  heard  of  such  a 
person. 

The  motive  of  this  attack  was  spite,  because  Walter 
Brooke  had  told  Mrs.  Simpson  of  the  plagiarism  Miss 
Coyle  had  detected  and  exposed  to  him. 

With  great  effort  Claudia  regained  outward  composure, 
and  when  the  piece  ended,  she  approached  with  others, 
and  offered  her  homage  to  the  reader ;  but  no  steel  could 
have  been  harder  or  colder  than  the  glance  which  passed 
between  the  two. 

Claudia  managed  to  breathe  into  the  ear  of  her  enemy, 
without  being  overheard  by  the  others : 


272       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

" '  When  Greek  meets  Greek/  you  understand  the  rest. 
I  must  speak  with  you  before  we  leave." 

Mrs.  Harte  nodded  haughtily,  with  defiance  in  her 
eyes,  and  Miss  Coyle  went  back  to  her  seat,  clenching 
her  white  hands  ^ill  the  nails  almost  penetrated  the  flesh. 

Dr.  Brooke  now  spoke : 

"  You  have,  as  usual,  excelled,  divine  Aspasia,  and  in 
your  honor,  permit  me  to  crown  you  with  this  wreath  of 
bays,  and  light  the  incense  on  the  shrine  dedicated  to  our 
new  goddess.  In  you  we  find  the  dignity  of  Juno,  blended 
with  the  intellect  of  Minerva  and  the  beauty  of  Venus. 
As  a  fair  representative  of  the  immortal  trio,  accept  the 
homage  of  those  you  have  so  highly  honored,  so  much 
delighted."  . 

The  old  doctor  uttered  this  gallant  speech  with  grave 
and  sonorous  emphasis,  and  the  graceful  head  was  bo\ved 
to  receive  the  offered  decoration,  and  the  large  candle 
lighted. 

Then  the  whole  company  following  the  example  of  the 
doctor,  defiled  before  her,  bowing  profoundly,  as  in 
homage  to  a  royal  queen. 

As  the  old  gentleman  lighted  the  incense,  Phoebe  satir- 
ically murmured  to  Clare: 

"  What  an  absurd  exhibition  !  The  poor  old  doctor 
will  be  saying  next  to  her : 

" '  Remember  I  was  once  the  youth 
Who,  in  days  past  of  joy  and  truth, 
First  offered  incense  at  your  shrine, 
And  fondly  hoped  to  call  you  mine.' 

He  is  dazed  enough  to  fancy  all  that,  poor  old  gentle- 
man. I  expect  to  see  him  dyeing  his  hair,  and  putting 
on  tight  boots  next.  Oh  !  won't  it  be  fun ! " 


GREEK  MEETS  GKEEK.         273 

Clare  could  not  help  laughing,  though  she  shook  her 
finger  at  her.  To  her  the  whole  scene  had  been  infi- 
nitely amusing,  though  she  would  not  permit  herself  to 
comment  on  it  as  freely  as  Phoebe  did.  ^ 

Aspasia's  voice  arose,  and  with  the  patronizing  conde- 
scension of  a  queen,  said  : 

"Thanks,  my  friends,  for  these  undeserved  tokens  of 
your  approval  of  my  poor  efforts  to  amuse  you.  I 
should  not  have  permitted  myself  to  be  crowned,  how- 
ever, till  my  supreme  effort  has  been  made;  but  my  kind 
admirer,  Dr.  Brooke,  wished  it,  and  of  course  I  sub- 
mitted." 

"Her  admirer!  Good!"  muttered  Phoebe.  "I  wonder 
what  the  old  gull  will  say  when  she  breaks  down  as 
Walter  did,  hissing  out  that  tiresome  poem  that  he 
always  will  repeat." 

A  small  enamelled  card-basket  was  handed  round  to 
receive  the  little  rolls  of  paper  prepared  by  such  of  the 
guests  as  wished  to  suggest  a  subject.  There  was  not 
more  than  a  dozen  offered,  and  among  them  was  one 
with  a  peculiar  twist,  which  Phoebe  accurately  copied, 
and  the  two  little  coils  lay  side  by  side,  so  much  alike, 
that  it  was  impossible  to  distinguish  between  them. 

Walter  Brooke  approached  the  goddess  with  the  basket 
iu  his  hand,  knelt  before  her,  and  touching  his  lips  to  the 
hern  of  her  flowing  garment,  theatrically  said  : 

"Adorable  Aspasia,  choose  the  theme  of  thy  inspira- 
tion. Behold,  a  dozen  lie  here  to  choose  from,  and  I 
pray  that  your  good  angel  may  guide  you  in  the  selection 
of  the  subject  on  which  you  are  best  prepared  to  poetize." 

A  lightning  glance  shot  from  the  lady's  eyes,  but  she 
coldly  replied, 
17 


274      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

"I  am  prepared  to  speak  on  each  or  all  alike,  Mr. 
Brooke.  I  do  not  understand  your  last  words." 

"  They  meant  nothing  derogatory  to  your  goddesship, 
I  assure  you.  Pray  select  your  theme,  while  I  kneel  at 
your  feet  your  most  devout  worshipper." 

Thus  adjured,  Aspasia  put  out  her  hand,  and  after  a 
moment's  hesitation,  in  which  a  singular  expression  came 
over  her  face,  she  took  up  one  of  the  rolled  papers, 
opened,  glanced  at  it,  and  almost  mechanically  read 
aloud : 

"  Serpent-Charming,  or  the  Wiles  of  Widows." 

For  an  instant  Mrs.  Harte  was  nonplussed ;  but  a 
moment  later  she  proved  herself  quite  equal  to  the  occa- 
sion;  she  coolly  said,  as  she  dropped  the  paper  and  took 
up  the  one  prepared  for  her  use  : 

"Serpent-charming  has  been  so  fully  discussed  in 
Milton's  Paradise  Lost,  that  it  would  be  great  presump- 
tion in  me  to  enter  into  rivalry  with  the  great  master. 
As  to  the  wiles  of  widows,  as  I  am  one  myself,  I  shall 
hardly  undertake  to  attack  the  sisterhood  to  which  I 
belong." 

Opening  the  second  paper,  she  smilingly  went  on : 

"Ah,  here  is  something  more  congenial.  Resignation 
is  a  theme  I  can  descant  on,  and  it  is  one  that  comes 
home  to  us  all.  Now  listen,  my  friends,  for  the  glow  of 
inspiration  is  upon  me." 

She  struck  an  attitude,  raised  her  eyes  to  heaven,  and 
commenced  repeating  the  ode,  which  at  once  struck  on 
the  ear  of  Claudia  as  something  familiar.  A  triumphant 
glitter  came  into  her  eyes,  and  she  followed  each  move- 
ment of  the  graceful  declaimer,  muttering  to  herself: 

"  I  have  her  at  my  mercy  now.     She  meant  to  strike 


GEEEK  MEETS  GREEK.         275 

at  me,  and  perhaps  to  crush  me ;  but  I  have  my  advan- 
tage now.  Her  vanity  will  condone  greater  faults  than 
I  have  committed,  if  I  threaten  to  expose  her  to  Dr. 
Brooke  as  a  mere  literary  impostor.  She  evidently 
intends  to  captivate  him,  and  a  hint  of  what  I  know 
would  rtiin  her  with  him." 

The  ode  to  resignation  was  a  greater  success  than  the 
reading,  and  the  fair  improvisatrice  was  pronounced  equal 
to  Corinne  herself,  when  she  received  an  ovation  in  the 
Roman  capital. 

When  the  buzz  of  flattery  subsided,  and  a  sudden 
calm  fell  on  the  company,  the  old  doctor  said  to  his 
daughter  : 

"  My  love,  since  we  have  enjoyed  to  ths  utmost  the 
feast  of  poesy  afforded  to  us  by  our  distinguished  friend, 
I  think  it  is  now  time  that  the  creature  comforts  should 
have  their  turn.  Will  you  order  in  refreshments  ?  " 

Judith  went  out,  and  presently  returned,  followed  by 
servants  bearing  waiters  with  fruit,  wine  and  cake.  Dr. 
Brooke  strictly  abstained  from  the  use  of  spirituous 
liquor  in  any  form,  and  thinking  some  apology  necessary 
for  refusing  to  join  his  guests  in  partaking  of  the  refresh- 
ments provided,  he  said : 

"  My  friends,  I  never  take  late  suppers,  and  the  use 
of  the  grape  I  abstain  from,  as  I  consider  drinking  wine 
a  most  pernicious  and  depraved  habit ;  one  very  delete- 
rious to  the  human  system,  and  therefore — ahem  ! " 

This  sudden  break-down  was  caused  by  a  pinch  on  his 
arm,  given  with  vim,  by  Judith,  who  at  the  same  time 
whispered  in  his  ear: 

"  Stop,  for  mercy's  sake,  father,  and  think  what  you 
are  saying." 


276      A     NEW     WAY    TO     WIN     A     FOETUNE. 

The  old  gentleman  looked  bewildered  a  few  moments, 
and  made  an  effort  to  apologize  for  what  he  had  said,  but 
Mrs.  Harte  came  to  the  rescue ;  she  held  up  her  glass  of 
ruby  wine,  and  laughed  musically  : 

"  I  shall  drink  this,  at  any  rate,  doctor,  for  it  is  worthy 
to  have  been  quaffed  on  Mount  Olympus,  in  the  drinking 
cups  served  by  Hebe  herself." 

"If  a  fairer  one  than  the  handmaiden  of  the  gods  will 
offer  me  the  magic  cup,  I  will  atone  for  my  involuntary 
rudeness  by  tasting  it  at  least,"  was  the  reply,  as  the  gray 
head  bent  deferentially  before  her. 

Aspasia  took  from  the  waiter  a  small  glass,  and  touch- 
ing her  lips  to  the  brim,  offered  it  to  him  with  her  most 
bewitching  smile. 

"  Here  is  the  nectar,  and  yon  are  Jove  receiving  it 
from  my  hand." 

With  a  grave  bow,  Dr.  Brooke  accepted  the  offering, 
sipped  a  few  drops  of  the  generous  liquid,  and  then  pour- 
ing the  rest  out  at  her  feet,  solemnly  said : 

"This  is  my  libation  to  the  goddess  of  the  hour, 
offered  in  the  same  spirit  in  which  it  was  poured  out  by 
the  men  of  Greece  to  their  deities." 

Judith  uttered  a  faint  exclamation  as  she  saw  the  ruby 
liquid  saturating  the  carpet,  and  Phoebe  Simpson  said  to 
Clare : 

"It's  lucky  that  the  groundwork  of  the  carpet  is  red. 
After  this,  that  dear  old  stupid  will  never  consent  to  get 
a  new  one.  He  will  insist  that  this  is  consecrated.  Oh, 
my!  I  wouldn't  have  missed  coming  here  to-night  for 
anything,  not  even  for  a  diamond  ring !  Isn't  it  great 
fun,  Miss  Desmond?" 

"  I  have  been  very  well  entertained,"  said  Clare,  with 


GREEK  MEETS  GREEK.        277 

a  faint  smile.  "  But  I  cannot  find  anything  to  ridicule 
in  an  earnest  and  truly  good  man  like  Dr.  Brooke." 

"Can't  you?  Well,  I  like  him  well  enough  too;  but 
he  is  as  good  as  a  comedy,  you  must  confess,  if  you'll 
ppeak  the  truth.  Do  you  know  he  sleeps  with  a  bust  of 
that  ugly  woman  up  yonder  on  his  pillow?  Ma  told 
Walter  one  day  that  if  he  didn't  smash  it  up  his  father 
would  go  crazy  with  his  nonsense  about  spirit  communion, 
and  all  that." 

"  Of  course  Mr.  Brooke  did  not  take  her  advice." 

"  No ;  he  thought  it  would  be  risky,  because  the  old 
man  says  she  told  him  whenever  she  wanted  him  to  take 
another  wife  she'd  smash  herself  up.  Did  you  ever  hear 
of  anything  so  absurd  ?" 

Clare  laughed  at  this  merrily  enough,  and  the  two 
young  girls  got  to  be  very  good  friends  before  the  even- 
ing was  over. 

Claudia  watched  her  opportunity  and  passed  out  of 
the  room,  making  a  significant  gesture  to  Mrs.  Harte, 
which  was  understood  by  that  lady  and  acted  on  a  few 
moments  later.  She  declared  herself  so  weary  with  her 
efforts  to  entertain  others  that  she  must  retire  a  few 
moments,  and  she  begged  that  she  might  be  permitted  to 
go  alone. 

With  her  old  cavalier,  to  hear  was  to  obey,  and  he 
conducted  her  to  the  door,  leaving  her  there  with  a  cere- 
monious bow,  and  returned  to  his  other  guests. 

Claudia  was  standing  on  the  piazza,  and  she  said  in  a 
low  tone,  as  Mrs.  Harte  passed  by  her : 

"Come  to  the  summer-house  in  five  minutes;  I  will 
be  there." 

Aspasia  nodded,  and  went  on  to  the  dressing-room. 


278       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

The  summer-house  was  a  small  latticed  building,  covered 
with  roses  and  jasmine,  with  rustic  seats  in  the  interior. 
It  was  open  on  two  sides,  one  toward  the  river,  the  other 
toward  the  house.  And  Claudia,  after  glancing  cautiously 
around,  flitted  toward  it  unseen  by  any  one. 

She  presently  saw  the  flutter  of  Mrs.  Harte's  diaphan- 
ous robes,  and  prepared  herself  for  the  combat.  That 
lady  entered  the  bower  with  a  haughty  arid  defiant  crest, 
and  coldly  said : 

"  When  the  gauntlet  is  thrown  down  to  me  I  always 
accept  it,  Miss  Coyle.  Will  you  be  so  good  as  to  explain 
the  threat  couched  in  your  quotation  ?  though,  in  this 
case,  it  will  not  be  Greek  meeting  Greek,  but  Greek 
battling  with  a  Helot,  I  think." 

This  superb  insolence  caused  the  surging  blood  to  leap 
through  Claudia's  veins,  but  she  conquered  the  impulse 
to  fly  at  this  woman,  and  choke  her  till  she  had  no  voice 
left  with  which  to  cry  for  mercy.  She  steadied  her  voice 
and  said : 

"  It  is  my  right  to  demand  of  you  an  explanation  of 
the  unprovoked  attack  made  on  me  to-night.  Where 
did  you  hear  that  story  you  read  with  so  much  emphasis, 
and  why  have  you  dared  to  make  so  base  a  use  of  my 
unhappy  history?" 

"  If  the  cap  fits,  you  may  wear  it,  Miss  Coyle.  My 
motive  you  can  easily  divine :  it  was  to  hint  to  you  that 
you  had  better  quietly  leave  the  neighborhood  before  you 
are  exposed  in  your  true  character." 

Claudia  laughed  scornfully. 

"  Do  you  really  believe  that  you  have  the  power  to 
make  me  do  so  mad  a  thing  as  that?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do ;  and  what  is  more,  if  you  do  not  go 


GREEK  MEETS  GREEK.        279 

away  at  once,  I  will  send  that  story  to  Mrs.  Adair,  with 
such  proofs  as  will  convince  her  of  its  veracity." 

"  You  think  you  have  me  utterly  in  your  power,  no 
doubt,  but  I  am  not  afraid  of  you,  Mrs.  Harte.  It  so 
happens  that  you  are  equally  in  mine ;  and  if  I  leave  in 
disgrace,  I  think  I  can  tell  that  which  will  also  cause  you 
to  '  hide  your  diminished  head/  and  never  show  your 
face  in  this  neighborhood  again." 

"Ah,  indeed  !  that  is  something  new,  upon  my  honor ! 
Idle  threats  will  not  save  you,  Miss  Coyle,  and  I  have 
the  most  supreme  contempt  for  yours.  Will  you  be  so 
good  as  to  give  me  an  idea  of  what  you  fancy  you  can 
do  to  injure  a  woman  in  my  position  ?  " 

"  I  can  do  this :  I  can  baffle  the  bold  game  you  are 
playing  to  win  that  old  man  up  yonder  because  he  is 
rich  ;  I  can  cover  you  with  such  ridicule,  after  the  absurd 
exhibition  of  this  evening,  that  you  will  never  dare  to 
show  your  face  here  again." 

Mrs.  Harte  changed  color,  and  her  tone  was  less 
arrogant  as  she  asked : 

"  In  what  way,  pray,  can  you  accomplish  that?" 

"  By  simply  bringing  forward  an  old  book  belonging 
to  me,  and  showing,  word  for  word,  the  poem  you  de- 
clared to  be  an  improvisation  to-night.  I  can  prove  you 
a  mere  literary  pretender — a  thief  of  other  people's  ideas. 
That  is  what  I  can  and  will  do,  if  you  offer  to  hint  to 
any  one  that  the  story  you  read  to-night  is  but  a  trans- 
cript of  mine." 

Hitherto  Aspasia  had  remained  standing,  but  she  now 
sank  on  a  seat  with  a  gasp,  and  seemed  on  the  point  of 
fainting.  Claudia  waited  for  her  to  speak,  but  several 
moments  clasped  before  she  was  capable  of  doing  so. 
She  at  length  said  : 


280        A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"You  have  beaten  me,  and  I  will  come  to  terms. 
You  and  I  need  not  come  in  conflict,  and  if  you  will 
leave  me  to  play  my  own  cards,  I  will  grant  you  the 
same  freedom.  It  is  a  bargain,  Miss  Coyle?" 

"  Yes,  on  one  condition  :  tell  me  how  you  learned  my 
unhappy  story,  and  why  you  wished  to  ruin  me  by 
making  it  known  to  others  ?  " 

"  I  met  with  Mr.  Gordon  in  Rome.  He  became  one 
of  my  adorers,  and  a  friend  put  me  on  my  guard  by 
enlightening  me  as  to  his  character.  The  story  of  the 
girl  he  had  eloped  with  while  his  wife  was  living  was 
told  me,  and  your  name  was  given.  Of  course  I  identi- 
fied you  as  the  heroine  of  the  tale,  as  you  had  not 
changed  your  very  peculiar  name." 

"  No ;  I  did  not  do  that,  because  I  fancied  I  should 
be  quite  safe  in  this  country.  I  see  I  was  mistaken  now. 
But  did  not  your  informant  also  tell  you  that  I  was  de- 
ceived myself — that  I  had  never  heard  of  a  Mrs.  Gordon, 
and  believed  the  ceremony  that  was  performed  a  legal 
one?" 

"  I  was  not  told  that ;  if  I  had  heard,  it,  I  should 
not  have  acted  as  I  did  to-night.  Why  did  you  not 
prosecute  the  man  for  bigamy  ?  " 

"  Because  I  despised  him  too  heartily  to  have  my 
name  brought  before  the  courts  in  connection  with  his. 
After  a  few  months,  he  treated  me  with  brutal  indiffer- 
ence, and  my  one  wish  was  to  escape  from  him.  I  did 
so,  and  I  have  found  a  good  home  for  myself.  I  warn 
you,  madam,  not  to  interfere  with  me  in  any  way ;  if  you 
do,  it  will  be  the  worse  for  your  own  interests.  In  spite 
of  your  efforts  to  injure  me,  some  would  be  found  to 
sympathize  with  my  misfortunes ;  but  for  you,  nothing 


CLAUDIA     GETS     THE     UPPER     HAND.       281 

but  the  jeering  laugh  of  contempt  would  be  in  store. 
Of  all  impostors,  a  literary  one  is  the  most  contemptible." 
Claudia  swept  away  as  she  uttered  these  words,  leav- 
ing her  insolent  adversary  humbled  and  alarmed.  She 
went  back  to  the  house,  and  complained  that  the  fright 
of  the  early  part  of  the  evening  had  made  her  ill,  and 
nothing  was  left  for  Judith  but  to  ask  her  to  remain  as 
her  guest,  when  the  rest  of  the  party  broke  up. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

CLAUDIA   GETS   THE   UPPEE   HAND. 

MRS.  ADAIR  was  charmed  with  Clare's  description 
of  the  literary  soiree.  She  had  as  keen  an  eye 
for  the  ridiculous  as  Phoebe  Simson  possessed,  and  away 
from  Dr.  Brooke's  house,  she  had  no  scruple  about 
giving  the  scene  in  all  its  details,  and  even  mimicking 
with  accuracy  the  style  and  manner  of  the  chief  actress. 

Her  aunt  laughed,  and  said : 

"  I  am  glad  that  you  do  not  attempt  to  caricature  that 
good,  simple-hearted  old  friend  of  mine,  my  dear;  all 
the  rest,  even  to  Walter,  I  leave  to  your  mercy.  I  hope 
the  doctor  is  not  going  to  make  himself  a  dunce  about 
that  absurd  woman.  From  what  you  say,  though,  it 
looks  very  much  like  it." 

"  He  certainly  was  very  much  taken  up  with  her, 
aunt;  but  if  what  Phoebe  Simpson  says  is  true,  he  will 
hardly  ask  her  to  marry  him  unless  his  spirit  wife  breaks 
up  her  own  bust." 


282       A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

"  What  nonsense  is  that  you  are  talking,  child  ?  How 
can  a  spirit  meddle  with  tangible  matter?" 

"I  am  sure  I  can't  tell,  aunt;  but  Phoebe  said  that 
his  wife  had  told  him  when  she  wanted  him  to  marry 
again,  her  marble  bust  should  be  broken.  That  is  all  I 
know  about  it." 

"  If  this  Mrs.  Harte  hears  that,  she  will  get  that 
image  destroyed,  by  hook  or  by  crook.  What  sort  of  a 
woman  is  she,  Clare  ?  " 

Claudia  had  entered  the  room,  and  before  Clare  could 
reply,  she  brusquely  said : 

"I  know  her  to  be  a  most  dangerous  and  scheming 
woman.  She  has  come  here  to  win  Dr.  Brooke  to  marry 
her,  and  she  will  stop  at  nothing  to  achieve  her  purpose. 
You  should  assume  the  privilege  of  an  old  friend,  and 
warn  him,  Mrs.  Adair." 

"  No,  indeed.  If  he  chooses  to  make  an  old  fool  of 
himself,  he  may  do  it  for  me.  If  his  sainted  angel  docs 
not  interfere  to  save  him,  I  am  sure  I  shaH  not.  How 
do  you  come  to  know  so  much  about  Mrs.  Hartc, 
Claudia?" 

Miss  Coyle  changed  color  slightly,  and  then  said : 

"  I  had  heard  something  of  her  before  she  ever  came 
into  this  neighborhood.  She  is  ambitious  of  being  con- 
sidered a  literary  lion,  with  only  the  most  flimsy  preten- 
sions to  genius;  and  her  great  aim  is  to  win  a  rich 
husband.  The  weakness  of  the  old  doctor  for  literary 
celebrities,  and  the  fascinating  wiles  of  this  woman,  will 
end  by  ensnaring  him  in  the  trap  she  has  cleverly  set 
for  him.  You  will  see  that  I  speak  the  truth,  Mrs. 
Adair." 

"  I  declare,  Claudia,  you  are  so  vehement  and  bitter 


CLAUDIA     GETS    THE    UPPEK    HAND.      283 

against  tins  charming  widow  that  I  begin  to  think  you 
have  been  casting  a  sly  glance  that  way  yourself.  Have 
you  not  tried  to  make  an  impression  ?  Tell  me  the 
truth,  now,  ami  maybe  I  can  help  you  to  rout  Aspasia, 
and  bring  all  her  plans  to  confusion." 

To  this  quizzing  speech  Claudia  gravely  replied  : 

"  I  have  no  designs  on  Dr.  Brooke.  If  she  wants 
him,  Mrs.  Harte  may  take  him,  and  welcome.  If  I 
had  wished  to  be  an  '  old  man's  darling,'  I  might  have 
accepted  one  four  times  richer  than  your  friend,  and 
reigned  a  queen  in  banking  circles  in  London  itself.  I 
had  no  taste  that  way,  and  here  I  am." 

"  That  is  a  new  episode  in  your  history,  Claudia.  You 
never  told  me  that  before ;  in  fact  you  have  told  me 
nothing  worth  speaking  of,  of  your  life  before  you  came 
to  me.  I  think  you  love  money;  then  why  did  you 
ref  ise  it  when  it  was  oifered?" 

"Why?  because  I  was  a  fool,"  replied  Claudia,  bit- 
terly. "  I  fancied  myself  in  love  with  a  man  who  played 
the  traitor  to  me.  That  is  the  whole  story,  Mrs.  Adair." 

Mrs.  Adair  looked  at  her  meditatively,  and  then  said : 

"  You  are  very  beautiful,  Claudia ;  yet  men  mostly 
admire,  without  loving  you.  I  cannot  understand  it. 
Dick  Clifford  was  fascinated  with  you  at  first,  but  he 
cooled  off,  and — and  you  know  how  it  all  ended.  Now, 
here  is  my  little  girl  here,  who  seems  to  carry  hearts  by 
storm.  If  Jasper  dared,  he  would  be  making  furious 
love  to  her ;  and  Walter  Brooke,  knowing  that  I  am  a 
stickler  for  old  customs,  has  asked  my  leave  to  win  her 
if  he  can.  WThat  makes  the  difference  now,  I  wonder? 
for  you  are  more  superbly  beautiful  than  Clare  is." 

"  Dear  aunt — pray — pray  don't  bring  me  up  in  this 


284       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

way,"  said  Clare,  deprecatingly.  "As  to  Mr.  Brooke,  I 
hope  you  gave  him  no  encouragement." 

"  'Comparisons  are  odious,'  "  said  her  aunt,  laughing, 
and  ignoring  her  last  words.  "  Claudia  seems  to  feel 
that  they  are,  for  she  looks  as  dark  as  a  th-under-cloud." 

The  cloud  rolled  away  from  Claudia's  face,  and  she 
gayly  said : 

"  You  quite  misunderstand  the  source  of  my  annoyance, 
dear  madam.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  feel  jealous  of 
a  young  girl  like  Clare,  for  we  belong  to  a  different  day 
and  generation.  I  am  a  mature  woman,  and  she  is  but 
a  budding  angel.  I  was  thinking  of  that  good  old  man 
at  Brookover,  who  is  doomed  to  be  victimized,  unless 
his  children  come  to  the  rescue." 

"Judith  will  l)e  very  apt  to  do  that.  The  name  suits 
her,  for,  if  the  occasion  arose,  she  could  cut  off  a  man's 
head  as  courageously  as  that  old  Hebrew  woman  did." 

"  But  this  time  it  is  a  woman's  head,  and  a  very 
shrewd  one,  too.  If  Miss  Brooke  could  decapitate  her 
metaphorically,  I  have  no  doubt  she  would  try  it ;  but 
Aspasia  will  prove  more  than  a  match  for  them  all,  or 
I  am  much  mistaken." 

"  Well,  well,  we  cannot  meddle  in  our  neighbors' 
affairs,  and  Dr.  Brooke  is  the  last  man  to  tolerate  inter- 
ference. I  have  known  him  all  my  life,  yet  I  would  not 
dare  to  offer  a  remonstrance,  even  if  I  thought  the  syren 
would  lead  him  to  destruction." 

"She  will  be  sure  enough  to  do  that,"  muttered  Clau- 
dia; "yet  I  dare  not  unmask  her,  lest  she  ruin  me  ia 
my  turn.  After  all,  I  have  enough  on  my  hands,  so 
why  should  I  care?" 

As  Claudia  had  now  come  in  to  sit  with  her  aunt, 


CLAUDIA     GETS     THE     UPPER     HAND.      285 

Clare  thought  she  might  be  spared,  and  she  asked  per- 
mission to  go  to  her  room  and  write  to  her  mother. 

Mrs.  Adair  graciously  replied  : 

"  I  am  sorry  to  lose  your  bright  talk  even  for  a  few 
hours,  Clare,  but  I  understand  the  claims  of  your  parents 
upon  you,  and  of  course  you  must  not  neglect  writing  to 
them  regularly.  Go,  my  dear,  and  tell  Annette  that  I 
thank  her  for  sparing  to  me  so  much  of  her  sunshine." 

"  Oh,  aunty,  I  must  kiss  you  for  that,"  said  Clare, 
impulsively,  and  she  threw  her  arms  around  Mrs.  Adair, 
and  pressed  her  lips  to  her  cheek.  "  I  am  so  glad,  so 
glad  that  you  find  some  pleasure  in  having  me  here." 

"  I  do  find  a  great  deal,  and  even  more  than  that ;  for 
you  are  a  comfort  to  me.  There,  dear;  go  now,  for  I 
see  that  Claudia  has  something  to  say  to  me." 

"  Pray  don't  cut  short  your  endearments  on  my  ac- 
count," said  Claudia,  with  slightly  curling  lip.  "  It  is 
a  real  delight  to  see  relations  so  fond  of  each  other." 

There  was  something  in  her  tone  that  jarred  011  both 
of  them ;  and  when  Clare  left  the  room,  Mrs.  Adair 
turned  sharply  to  her,  and  asked  : 

"Are  you  jealous  of  my  new  pet,  that  you  look  and 
speak  as  you  do,  Claudia?  You  induced  me  to  bring  the 
child  here,  and  now  you  seem  to  have  taken  a  dislike  to 
her.  What  has  she  done  to  merit  this?" 

In  her  softest  tones  Claudia  replied  : 

"I  have  no  feeling  of  hostility  to  Miss  Desmond,  I  do 
assure  you,  my  dear  friend.  But  I  came  hither  to  speak 
to  you  about  her.  As  you  are  vexed,  and  may  not  be 
inclined  to  do  justice  to  my  motives,  I  had  best,  perhaps, 
say  nothing  to  her  prejudice;  though  I  think  you 
ought  to  know  that,  in  spite  of  her  sweetness,  and 


286       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FOKTUXE. 

apparent  desire  to  please  you,  she  is  deliberately  doing 
all  that  is  possible  to  defeat  the  plan  so  near  to  your 
heart." 

A  red  spot  came  into  the  old  lady's  cheeks,  and  she 
impatiently  replied  : 

"  I  believe  the  child  sincere,  Claudia,  and  all  you  can 
say  will  not  convince  me  to  the  contrary.  Speak.  1 
must  hear  what  you  have  to  tell  me,  and  then  I  can  take 
my  own  time  to  decide  as  to  your  motives." 

Claudia  could  weep  when  she  pleased,  and  tears  now 
dimmed  her  magnificent  eyes.  In  faltering  accents,  she 
said : 

"  I  knew  you  would  be  vexed  at  hearing  that  things 
are  not  going  on  as  you  wish ;  but  it  is  my  duty  to  tell 
you  what  I  have  seen  myself.  Dear  Mrs.  Adair,  you 
are  the  only  friend  I  have  in  the  world,  and  I  shall  be 
in  despair  if  I  am  so  unfortunate  as  to  displease  you." 

"  Enough  of  that,  Claudia,"  was  the  brusque  reply. 
"If  you  really  have  anything  to  say,  out  with  it.  I 
detest  beating  around  the  bush ;  and  by  this  time  I  think 
you  ought  to  know  that  I  am  as  impatient  as  old  Job 
himself  was." 

Claudia  understood  that  her  patroness  would  submit 
to  no  further  acting  on  her  part,  and  she  therefore  went 
on  in  a  less  lugubrious  tone  : 

"  I  am  sorry  to  tell  you  that  Clare  is  a  terrible  flirt. 
She  understands  without  being  told,  that  the  wish  near- 
est your  heart  is  to  make  a  match  between  her  and 
Jasper;  yet  she  openly  gives  such  encouragement  to 
AYalter  Brooke  that  there  can  be  no  doubt  she  is  making 
up  her  mind  to  marry  him,  and  make  sure  of  a  rich  hus- 
band while  she  has  the  reputation  of  being  your  heiress." 


CLAUDIA    GETS    THE    UPPEK    HAND.       287 

"But,  if  Clare  is  a  flirt,  how  have  you  arrived  at  that 
conclusion?  She  may  only  be  amusing  herself  with  him, 
as  she  does  with  others." 

"Until  last  evening  I  believed  that  myself;  but 
I  overheard  a  conversation  between  her  and  Walter 
which  leaves  no  doubt  on  my  mind.  I  did  not  intend  to 
listen,  but  I  was  placed  in  such  a  position  that  I  could 
not  avoid  it." 

"  Oh  !  of  course — I  understand  that,"  was  the  sarcas- 
tic rejoinder.  "  It  was  a  lucky  chance,  and  one  you  were 
bound  to  make  use  of  in  my  behalf.  Pray  go  on.  I  am 
trying  to  keep  myself  calm,  though  you  try  my  patience 
wonderfully.  What  did  they  say  ?  " 

"  Oh,  a  great  deal  of  nonsense  that  it  is  not  necessary 
to  trouble  you  with.  The  gist  of  it  was,  that  your  niece 
has  discovered  that  she  was  brought  here  to  marry 
Jasper,  and  with  the  wilful  perversity  of  her  years,  she 
is  determined  not  to  do  so.  She  told  Mr.  Brooke  that  in 
two  weeks  she  would  give  him  a  decisive  answer,  and  in 
that  time  she  thought  she  could  win  on  you  so  much  by 
making  a  great  show  of  affection,  that  you  would  give  up 
your  wishes  to  hers,  and  allow  her  to  make  her  own 
choice  of  a  husband." 

The  old  lady  sunk  back  with  a  gasp,  and  pressed  her 
hand  over  her  left  side,  as  if  smitten  with  sudden  pain 
there. 

Claudia  silently  offered  her  a  glass  of  water,  and 
gently  said : 

"  It  is  bitterly  painful  to  me  to  agitate  you  so  deeply, 
but  I  dared  not  withhold  this  from  you.  This  young 
girl,  who  seems  so  free  from  guile,  is  determined  to  main- 
tain her  place  in  your  regard,  and  at  the  same  time  gain 


288      A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

her  own  way.  Walter  Brooke  is  not  to  be  compared  with 
Jasper,  but  she  has  taken  a  fancy  to  him,  and  she  will 
marry  him,  as  much  to  disappoint  you  as  from  any  other 
motive." 

"  Yet  she  does  not  seem  wilful :  and  it  is  hard  for  me 
to  think  her  deceitful.  Claudia,  I  could  almost  wish 
that  you  had  not  told  me  this,"  said  the  deceived  woman, 
with  a  pang  at  her  heart  which  told  her  how  dearly  she 
had  already  learned  to  regard  her  niece. 

"  I  thought  it  right  to  warn  you,  Mrs.  Adair,"  replied 
Claudia,  with  great  appearance  of  humility.  "There  is 
something  else  I  ought  to  say  to  you,  but  you  seem  so 
much  excited,  I  think  I  had  better  keep  it  to  myself." 

With  a  gesture  of  angry  impatience,  the  old  lady  im- 
petuously said : 

"  You  know  well  enough  that  when  a  thing  is  hinted 
to  me  I  never  rest  till  I  have  heard  the  whole  of  it. 
Now  speak  out  all  that  you  have  to  say,  and  leave  me  to 
deal  with  myself,  and  with  her  afterward." 

"Since  you  insist,  I  suppose  I  must  obey.  Clare 
stated  that,  in  any  event,  her  mother  was  your  legal 
heiress — that  she  had  a  claim  on  your  estate  which  you 
dared  not  ignore.  Her  grandmother,  she  said,  had 
received  but  a  moiety  of  what  should  have  been  hers,  and 
if  you  passed  over  your  own  family  in  your  will,  her 
father  would  contest  it,  and  prove  that  you  were  not  in  a 
fit  state  of  mind  to  dispose  of  your  property." 

Mrs.  Adair  started  up  in  sudden  fury ;  she  shook  her 
clenched  hand  above  her  head,  and  in  a  voice  tremulous 
with  rage  and  wounded  feeling,  cried  out : 

"Oh,  this  is  too  much!  The  viper!  the  smooth, 
smiling  serpent,  who  hopes  to  coil  around  my  heart  that 


CLAUDIA    GETS     THE     UPPEE     HAND.     289 

she  may  stifle  me,  crush  me !  Good  God !  such  a 
creature  would  be  capable  of  murdering  me  to  attain  her 
own  ends ;  and  she  so  young  too !  " 

Claudia  began  to  fear  that  she  had  gone  too  far,  and 
she  hastened  to  soothe  the  anger  her  false  communications 
had  aroused. 

"  I  believe  you  go  too  far  in  judging  Miss  Desmond 
so  harshly  as  that,  Mrs.  Adair.  She  is  not  so  much  to 
blame  herself,  as  those  who  have  carefully  tutored  her  to 
the  part  she  is  to  play,  before  they  sent  her  hither.  Her 
parents  have  everything  at  stake,  for  of  course  the  lawsuit 
she  spoke  of  could  never  be  brought  to  a  successful  issue. 
They  know  that  well  enough,  and  this  young  girl  was  to 
win  you  over,  and  make  all  sure,  if  possible,  by  inducing 
you  to  bequeath  your  fortune  to  her.  It  is  difficult  to 
believe  her  less  transparent  than  she  seems,  and  she  has 
many  charming  traits  of  character ;  but  she  has  had  bad 
counsels,  and  she  thinks  any  deception  right  which  will 
serve  the  cause  of  her  parents." 

"And  I — I  am  to  be  victimized  in  this  heartless 
manner  for  the  benefit  of  a  parcel  of  grasping  cormor- 
ants !  Don't  speak  a  word  to  me  in  Clare's  favor.  If 
she  cannot  be  all  to  me,  she  shall  be  nothing;  I  will 
send  her  back  to  her  parents,  and  withdraw  from  them 
the  assistance  I  have  offered  to  enable  them  even  to 
live  in  comfort.  A  fine  reward  I  have  for  my  liberality, 
truly ! " 

"  But,  my  dear  friend,  such  precipitate  action  as  that 
would  cause  the  world  to  misjudge  you,  and  bring  down 
on  me  its  heaviest  censure.  After  all,  these  people  are 
your  nearest  relations,  and  you  must  wish  them  to  rise 
out  of  the  poverty  into  which  they  have  fallen.  Do  not 
18 


290       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

be  too  hard  on  Clare,  for  she  is  very  young  yet,  and  if 
she  marries  the  man  of  her  choice,  she  may  mature  into 
a  good  woman,  as  the  world  goes.  Give  her  a  chance  to 
secure  a  good  husband,  I  entreat.  Let  her  remain  here, 
but  treat  her  with  extreme  coldness,  and  show  her  that 
her  chance  of  fortune  through  your  liberality  is  lost." 

"That  might  goad  her  on  to  a  marriage  with  Walter, 
and  if  she  would  only  choose  Jasper  in  preference,  I 
could  forgive  even  this  baseness,  and  take  her  into  favor 
again.  Rich  people  need  not  expect  gratitude  from 
those  dependent  on  them.  I  did  not,  till  this  girl  so 
sweetly  befooled  me.  Even  after  what  you  have  told 
me,  if  I  suffered  her  to  wheedle  around  me  again,  I 
believe  I  should  get  as  fond  of  her  as  ever." 

"I  think,  perhaps,  your  coldness  might  have  an  oppo- 
site effect.  If  Clare  finds  she  has  risked  so  much  by 
offending  you  in  the  choice  she  has  made,  she  will 
probably  change  her  tactics,  and  try  to  like  Jasper  \\-e\l 
enough  to  accept  him.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  he  is  deeply 
in  love  with  her,  and  she  gives  him  a  little  gleam  of  hope 
at  times.  For  the  sake  of  all  concerned,  Mrs.  Adair,  it 
wiU  be  best  to  temporize.  Give  Clare  a  chance  to  fall 
into  your  plans,  or,  if  she  prefers  it,  to  marry  Walter 
Brooke.  In  that  case  she  will  be  amply  provided  for, 
and  able  to  assist  her  parents.  No  one  could  then  blame 
you  for  casting  them  off,  and  I  should  escape  the  odious 
charge  of  mischief-making.  As  it  has  turned  out,  I 
am  sorry  that  I  induced  you  to  bring  Miss  Desmond 
here." 

Mrs.  Adair  regarded  her  with  a  penetrating  glance. 

"If  you  had  not  urged  it  on  me  as  persistently  as  you 
did,  Claudia,  I  should  be  tempted  to  believe  that  you  are 


CLAUDIA     GETS     THE    UPPEE    HAND.     201 

acting  a  double  part.  What  motive  you  can  have  for 
bringing  my  niece  here,  only  to  secure  her  expulsion 
after  a  -few  weeks'  sojourn  beneath  my  roof,  it  is  im- 
possible to  divine ;  therefore  I  must  acquit  you  of  double 
dealing." 

"  I  hope  you  do  acquit  me  of  such  baseness  as  that," 
said  Claudia,  with  apparent  indignation.  "  It  is  hard  to 
have  even  a  passing  suspicion  of  me  darken  the  mind  of 
my  best — almost  my  only  friend.  It  is  the  dearest  wish 
of  my  heart  that  after  a  temporary  estrangement  you  and 
Clare  shall  become  as  good  friends  as  ever,  and  that  her 
ultimate  acceptance  of  Jasper  will  insure  to  her  the  suc- 
cession to  your  estate.  If  you  knew  how  ardently  I 
wish  for  that,  Mrs.  Adair,  you  would  at  least  give  me 
credit  for  disinterestedness." 

"Then  why  can  you  not  help  it  on?"  asked  Mrs. 
Adair,  abruptly.  "  The  strongest  desire  of  my  heart  is 
to  prevent  the  division  of  this  estate.  It  has  been  in  my 
family  almost  from  the  first,  settlement  of  the  country, 
and  I  could  hardly  sleep  quietly  in  my  grave  if  I  knew 
it  was  dismembered.  My  husband  paid  off  some  deb{£ 
which  had  accumulated  ;  he  did  this  to  prevent  any  ^r- 
tion  of  the  land  from  being  sold,  and  there  was  ah 
understanding  between  us  that  what  lie  paid  should  be 
made  up  to  his  heirs,  the  Cliffords — or  rather  to  Dick, 
for  Jasper  was  not  then  born.  I  have  a  mania  for  buy- 
ing land,  and  in  place  of  laying  up  my  inconte  to  liqui- 
date that  debt  I  enlarged  my  possessions,  and  I  am  just 
as  unwilling  to  see  the  new  acquisitions  separated  from 
the  estate  as  I  ever  was  to  part  with  what  my  father  left 
me.  You  understand  now  why  I  am  so  bent  on  a  match 
between  my  heiress  and  one  of  the  Cliffords.  Dick 


292      A     NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

waives  all  claims  in  favor  of  his  son,  provided  Clare  can 
be  brought  to  reason.  Now,  why  can  you  not  undertake 
to  do  that,  Claudia  ?  " 

"  Grant  me  a  month,  and  I  think  I  may  engage  to 
accomplish  it,"  was  the  calm  reply.  "  But  if  I  am  to 
succeed,  you  must  do  your  part,  Mrs.  Adair.  You  must 
treat  Clare  with  extreme  coldness,  though  I  beg  that  you 
will  not  be  harsh,  or  betray  to  her  anything  of  what  has 
passed  between  us  to-day.  If  you  do,  I  cannot  under- 
take to  influence  this  wilful  girl.  In  fact,  I  should  lose 
all  power  to  do  so,  if  she  suspected  that  there  is  an 
understanding  between  you  and  myself." 

Mrs.  Adair  was  an  irritable,  high-tempered  woman, 
but  she  was  easily  influenced  by  one  in  whom  she  had 
confidence,  and  Claudia,  by  her  apparent  disinterestedness, 
had  completely  blinded  her.  She  gave  her  credit  for  the 
kindest  feelings  toward  Clare,  and  after  hesitating  a  few 
moments,  she  gave  the  pledge  required  of  her. 

"I  promise  not  to  be  harsh;  only  cold,  as  you  advise. 
I  have  your  success  so  much  at  heart,  Claudia,  that  I 
promise  to  give  you  an  order  on  my  merchant  for  two 
thousand  dollars  the  day  that  Jasper  and  Clare  ask  my 
blessing  on  their  union.  That  may  stimulate  your 
efforts,  my  dear,  and  I  shall  feel  so  grateful  to  you  if  you 
succeed,  that  I  shall  not  think  the  price  too  high  for  the 
service  rendered." 

u  I  do  not  know  how  to  thank  you,  dear  madam,"  said 
Claudia,  with  eifusion.  "  I  am  yours  to  command  in  all 
things,  you  well  know;  but  at  the  same  time  I  will  not 
deny  that  the  offer  of  so  munificent  a  reward  will  stimu- 
late me  to  attain  success.  I  think  I  understand  all 
Clare's  weaknesses,  for  I  have  made  her  a  study  since  she 


CLAUDIA     GETS     THE     UPPER     HAND.      293 

has  been  here,  and  I  will  so  work  upon  them  as  to  make 
her  comprehend  what  her  true  interests  are." 

"Only  save  me  from  the  necessity  of  dividing  my 
estate,  and  I  am  your  fast  friend  for  life.  I  could  give 
it  to  Jasper  alone,  but  it  is  my  wish  that  one  of  the  old 
Beaufort  blood  shall  inherit  it.  Whether  worthy  or  not, 
Clare  shall  be  my  heiress  if  she  will  take  him  for  her 
husband.  I  dare  say  you  think  me  a  monomaniac  on 
this  subject,  and  perhaps  I  am." 

"  Do  not  say  that  before  any  one  else,"  said  Claudia,  in 
suppressed  tones.  "If  you  did,  there  is  no  knowing 
what  advantage  might  be  taken  of  it." 

Mrs.  Adair  clenched  her  hands,  and  again  a  crimson 
flush  mounted  to  her  face.  She  faintly  said : 

"  I  feel  ill ;  this  has  been  too  much  for  me.  I — I  was 
beginning  to  love  that  child  so  dearly,  and  now  to  know 
that  she  is  so  untrue  is  bitter,  bitter." 

"  Shall  I  ring  for  Mona  ?  "  asked  the  false  voice. 

"  Yes — and  begin  your  mission  at  once.  I  can  have 
no  peace  till  this  thing  is  decided,  one  way  or  the  other." 

When  the  servant  came  in,  Claudia  retired  triumphant. 
She  stood  outside  the  closed  door  with  her  hand  raised 
toward  it,  exultingly  muttering : 

"  You  have  resigned  your  fate  into  my  hands ;  hence- 
forth J  am  the  mistress,  and  you  are  the  puppet,  to  be 
moved  at  my  will  till  the  end  comes.  Ha !  ha !  Now 
for  the  fair  heiress.  I  understand  her  wishes  well  enough 
to  mould  her  to  my  own  purposes,  and  bring  her  to  the 
point  I  desire." 


294      A    NEW    WAY    TO     Vv'  IN     A     F  O  II T  U  N  E . 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

CROSS   PURPOSES. 

/"^LARE  wrote  her  letter,  giving  to  her  mother  a  most 
V_y  glowing  account  of  the  high  favor  she  enjoyed 
with  her  aunt,  and  assured  her  that  she  believed  all  her 
family  would  be  speedily  summoned  to  make  a  visit  to 
Riverdale,  for  the  purpose  of  becoming  acquainted  with 
its  mistress. 

She  then  threw  on  her  hat,  and  went  out  into  the 
grounds  to  take  a  morning  walk  before  going  back  to 
Mrs.  Adair.  She  sang  softly  to  herself  as  she  moved 
under  the  shadow  of  the  trees,  thinking  how  fortunate 
and  happy  a  girl  she  was.  With  Clare,  any  deep  feeling 
instinctively  assumed  a  devotional  form,  and  raising  her 
beautiful  eyes  to  the  cloudless  azure  vault  above,  she 
burst  into  Addison's  beautiful  paraphrase  of  the  nine- 
teenth psalm,  beginning : 

"  When  all  Thy  mercies,  O  my  God ! " 

Her  voice  was  clear  and  well  trained,  and  she  sang 
with  the  fervor  of  one  whose  heart  echoed  every  line  of 
the  hymn,  unconscious  that  any  one  was  within  hearing. 

"Bravo,"  said  Mr.  Clifford;  "that  was  well  done, 
Miss  Clare.  You  sing  better  in  the  open  air  than  in  the 
drawing-room." 

Clare  turned  s\viftly,  and  saw  both  Jasper  and  his 
father  standing  a  few  yards  from  her,  apparently  arrested 
by  the  sounds  of  her  voice.  The  elder  man  carried  in 
his  hand  a  small  valise,  and  was  evidently  setting  out  on 
a  journey. 


CROSS     PURPOSES.  295 

Scarcely  heeding  his  compliment,  she  eagerly  asked : 
"Are  you  going  away,  Mr.  Clifford?     I  have  heard 
nothing  of  it,  and — and  I  am  really  sorry  to  know  that 
I  shall  not  see  you  every  day,  as  usual." 

«  Yes — I  am  going  away  for  a  short  time,  on  business 
of  Mrs.  Adair's.  But  I  leave  my  sou  to  take  my  place 
and  try  to  make  himself  agreeable  to  you.  Jasper  is 
more  a  squire  of  dames  at  any  rate,  you  know." 

Clare  glanced  shyly  at  Jasper,  and  saw  in  his  eyes  an 
expression  which  thrilled  her  heart,  and  made  her  almost 
tremble  with  the  delicious  certainty  that  he  loved  her. 
But  the  next  moment  a  cold  chill  came  over  her  soul, 
when  she  thought  that  to  accept  love  from  him  would 
probably  be  ruin  to  them  both.  She  flushed,  and  then 
grew  pale,  but  she  calmly  said  : 

"  You  are  my  paternal  friend,  Mr.  Clifford,  and  no 
one,  not  even  your  son,  can  fill  your  place.  You  have 
kindly  sho\vn  me  what  I  must  do,  and  what  avoid,  since 
I  have  been  at  Riverdale,  and  now  that  you  are  going,  I 
have  a  presentiment  that  my  giddiness  will  bring  me  into 
some  scrape." 

"  I  have  no  fear  of  that,  my  dear ;  for  all  your  in- 
stincts are  good,  and  if  you  only  follow  them,  they  will 
lead  you  right." 

"  Thank  you ;  but  you  don't  know  how  silly  I  can 
act  sometimes.  I  am  afraid  my  good  spirit  often  folds 
his  wings  over  his  face  and  leaves  me  to  the  guidance  of 
the  evil  one.  You  know  it  is  said  that  every  human 
soul  has  two  such  attendants." 

"  Yes,  there  is  some  such  superstition,  and  the  mixed 
good  and  evil  in  the  same  character  would  lead  one 
to  have  some  faith  in  it.  As  to  yourself,  however, 


296       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

I  hardly  think  the  evil  genius  can  ever  gain  the  as- 
cendency." 

"  Oh,  you  do  not  know  me,  or  you  would  not  say  that. 
I  have  had  no  temptation  to  wrong-doing  since  I  have 
bsen  here,  because  you  are  all  so  good  to  me.  I  cannot 
tell  you  how  happy  I  am  to  find  that  my  aunt  is  really 
fond  of  me." 

These  words  Mr.  Clifford  afterward  recalled,  and 
shuddered  at  the  interpretation  that  could  be  put  upon 
them  ;  but  he  now  smilingly  said  : 

"Your  bark  of  life  has  found  a  safe  harbor,  Clare; 
so  you  may  take  '  the  goods  the  gods  provide,'  and  es- 
chew temptation.  Mrs.  Adair  is  indeed  much  attached 
to  you,  and  I  think  there  is  little  danger  now  that  any 
storm' will  arise  to  mar  your  brilliant  prospects.  I  shall 
be  absent  ten  days,  perhaps,  and  if  you  need  advice  or 
assistance  you  may  confidently  rely  on  Jasper  for  either. 
He  is  one  of  those  exceptional  men  who  have  old  heads 
on  young  shoulders,  and  you  may  safely  trust  to  his 
judgment." 

Jasper  here  spoke 

"  I  cannot  vouch  for  my  wisdom,  Clare,  but  you  may 
rely  on  my  desire  to  serve  you  in  every  possible  way.  I 
hardly  think,  though,  that  the  necessity  will  arise  for 
assistance  of  any  kind.  How  could  it,  indeed,  when  you 
are  here  sheltered  by  your  aunt's  protection,  and  shielded 
by  her  love  ?  " 

His  tone  was  measured  and  his  manner  a  little  stiff, 
for  he  remembered  how  friendly  she  had  been  with 
Walter  Brooke  the  day  before,  and  his  jealous  heart  was 
a  little  sore. 

Clare  felt  this,  and  with  a  pettish  toss  of  her  head, 
replied : 


CEOSS     PURPOSES.  297 

"  In  spite  of  the  precocious  wisdom  your  father  at- 
tributes to  you,  Jasper,  I  shall  not  trouble  you  to  listen 
to  such  petty  .cares  as  may  assail  me.  As  you  say,  no 
serious  complication  can  arise,  situated  as  I  am." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you  as  to  the  last,"  was  the  stiff 
reply,  and  Clare  bit  her  lip  with  vexation :  yet  she  de- 
clared to  herself  it  was  best  that  they  should  not  be  too 
friendly  with  each  other. 

"  I  am  going  to  Baltimore,"  explained  Mr.  Clifford, 
"  and  the  cab  is  awaiting  me  at  the  lower  gate.  I  may 
see  your  father  as  I  return,  as  I  shall  be  a  day  in  Norfolk 
then,  and  I  will  run  over  to  his  place  for  a  few  hours." 

"Oh,  do;  and  tell  them  how  kind  my  aunt  is,  how 
happy  I  am  here,  and  how  hopeful  that  they  will  soon  be 
summoned  hither  too." 

Mr.  Clifford  laughed,  and  said : 

"  I  will  tell  you  a  secret,  Clare.  Your  parents  will 
only  be  asked  to  Riverdale  when  you  have  chosen  a  hus- 
band, and  your  wedding  is  about  to  come  off;  and  not 
then,  unless  your  choice  pleases  Mrs.  Adair." 

"In  that  case,  I  think  the  summons  will  not  long  be 
delayed,"  said  Jasper,  with  irrepressible  bitterness. 

Clare  flashed  a  lightning  glance  at  him,  and  angrily 
replied : 

"  I  don't  know  by  what  right  you  say  that,  Jasper.  I 
have  betrayed  no  preference  for  any  one  as  yet." 

"  Oh,  indeed  !  Then  you  were  only  amusing  yourself 
with  your  new  adorer  last  evening." 

"  I  do  not  know  that  it  is  any  business  of  yours  what 
I  am  doing,"  M'as  the  retort.  "  I  shall  not  certainly 
permit  myself  to  be  called  to  account  by  you  for  any  of 
my  actions." 


298       A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

"Nothing  is  further  from  my  intentions,  I  assure  you, 
Miss  Desmond,"  was  the  stiff  reply,  and  Mr.  Clifford 
hastened  to  say : 

"Tut,  tut — this  will  never  do,  young  people.  It  is 
my  wish,  and  that  of  Mrs.  Adair,  that  you  shall  be  good 
friends  to  each  other.  Remember  that,  and  don't  be 
falling  out  and  quarrelling  while  I  am  away.  The  old 
lady  will  not  like  it.  Come,  shake  hands,  and  make 
friends  before  I  go." 

The  two  looked  at  each  other,  and  by  a  resistless 
impulse  their  hands  were  extended.  Jasper  held  that 
of  Clare  in  so  warm  and  tender  a  clasp,  that  the  roses 
flushed  to  her  cheeks  as  she  withdrew  it,  and  said : 

"  I  could  not  refuse  any  request  you  made  to  me,  Mr. 
Clifford,  just  as  you  are  going  away.  But  shaking 
hands  with  Jasper  will  not  make  me  forget  how  rudely 
he  sat  up  in  judgment  on  me  just  now." 

"  Oh,  he  will  find  means  to  make  peace  with  you  some 
day,  I  hope,"  was  the  laughing  response,  and  Mr.  Clif- 
ford took  leave  of  the  two,  telling  his  son  to  return  with 
Miss  Desmond  to  the  house.  Then  he  went  on  his  way, 
thinking : 

"  The  old  lady  was  half  right  in  her  tactics.  If  those 
two  had  been  bidden  to  fall  in  love  with  each  other,  they 
would  never  have  obeyed ;  and  here  they  are  half-seas- 
over  already,  because  they  believe  nobody  wishes  them 
to  get  married.  It  will  all  come  right,  and  I  shall  have 
the  sweetest  little  daughter-in-law  in  the  world." 

Jasper  and  his  companion  scarcely  spoke  as  they 
walked  side  by  side  toward  the  house.  Both  were 
thinking  of  what  Mr.  Clifford  had  said,  and  wondering 
why  Mrs.  Adair  was  so  inconsistent  as  to  wish  them  to 


CROSS     PUR  POSES.  299 

be  friends,  when  they  were  prohibited  from  becoming 
lovers.  Had  they  spoken  together  with  their  usual 
friendliness,  the  chances  were  that  the  true  state  of  their 
feelings  might  have  been  betrayed,  and  the  fatal  snare 
into  which  Clare  was  blindly  walking  have  been  avoided. 
But  one  was  jealous,  and  the  other  offended,  and  the 
opportunity  was  lost. 

As  they  drew  near  the  house,  Claudia  came  sauntering 
from  the  opposite  direction,  and  neither  suspected  that 
she  had  been  watching  them  ever  since  they  parted  from 
Mr.  Clifford. 

Her  keen  eyes  glanced  at  the  two  faces,  and  she  saw 
that  something  had  happened  to  discompose  both.  For 
an  instant  her  heart  bounded  wildly,  as  the  fear  arose 
that  an  explanation  had  taken  place,  and  the  lovers 
might  be  on  their  way  to  Mrs.  Adair  to  tell  her  that 
they  had  concluded  to  adopt  the  motto  of  the  old  play  as 
their  rule  of  action :  "All  for  love,  and  the  world  well 
lost," 

But  as  they  drew  nearer,  she  banished  all  such  fears. 
With  clouded  faces  and  averted  eyes  they  walked  side  by 
side,  and  Claudia  understood  at  a  glance  that  there  had 
been  a  quarrel  of  some  kind. 

Remembering  the  old  adage,  that  "the  quarrels  of 
lovers  are  the  renewal  of  love,"  she  thought  it  best  to 
interfere  between  them  before  many  more  words  could 
be  spoken.  She  came  up  with  a  smile,  and  said : 

"Is  it  not  a  delicious  morning?  Mr.  Clifford  will 
have  a  pleasant  day  for  his  journey." 

Jasper  started,  and  regarded  her  with  a  displeased  ex- 
pression, as  he  almost  sharply  asked  : 

"  How  did  you  know  that  my  father  had  gone  on  a 


300      A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

journey,  Claudia?  I  do  not  think  he  spoke  of  his 
intention  to  any  one  here,  except  myself  and  my  aunt." 

"  Is  there  any  secret  about  it  ? "  she  asked,  with  an 
innocent  expression.  "Mr.  Clifford  does  not  usually 
make  a  mystery  of  his  goings  and  comings.  I  only 
overheard  him  this  morning  giving  orders  for  the  cab  to 
be  in  readiness  for  him,  and  I  learned  from  Mrs.  Adair 
that  he  is  going  to  Baltimore." 

Jasper  frowned  slightly,  as  he  replied: 

"  My  father  is  not  apt  to  deal  in  mysteries,  Miss  Coyle. 
He  leaves  that  for—" 

The  young  man  broke  off  abruptly,  and  making  a 
slight  bow  to  those  he  was  leaving,  turned  off  in  another 
direction,  and  strode  away. 

"  Upon  my  word,"  said  Claudia,  "  the  young  man  is 
taking  airs  on  himself!  One  would  think  that  he  is  lord 
of  all  he  surveys,  to  see  him  and  hear  him  speak." 

Clare  bit  her  lips  angrily,  and  her  eyes  flashed,  but 
she  made  DO  rejoinder,  and  after  a  pause,  Claudia 
went  on  : 

"  I  am  afraid  that  Mrs.  Adair  saw  you  walking  alone 
with  him,  for  you  must  have  passed  the  windows  of  her 
room.  She  will  probably  be  angry  with  you  for  giving 
him  the  slightest  encouragement  at  present" 

"  Why  at  present,  pray  ?  "  flashed  Clare.  "  What  do 
you  mean  by  your  sly  innuendoes,  Claudia?  My  aunt 
wishes  me  to  be  friendly  with  Jasper.  Mr.  Clifford  told 
me  that  only  a  little  while  ago,  and  now  you  say  she  will 
be  offended  if  I  walk  with  him.  The  two  stories  do  not 
hang  very  well  together." 

"  I  dare  say  not,"  was  the  calm  reply ;  "  but  /  tell  you 
that  you  will  lose  favor  with  Mrs.  Adair,  if  she  suspects 


CROSS    PURPOSES.  301 

that  anything  is  going  on  between  you  and  Jasper.  Mr. 
Clifford  is  anxious  to  secure  his  son's  interests  by  a  union 
with  you ;  for  then,  if  the  old  lady  made  a  will  cutting 
you  both  off,  as  she  certainly  would,  he  would  bring  for- 
ward your  mother's  claims  as  next  of  kin,  and  those  he 
has  on  the  estate  for  moneys  of  his  uncle  that  have  been 
expended  upon  it." 

"  If  my  aunt  were  so  unjust  to  her  natural  heirs  as  to 
do  what  you  say  she  would,  I  think  Mr.  Clifford  would 
be  perfectly  justifiable  in  taking  such  a  course,"  said 
Clare,  coldly. 

"  But  the  litigation  would  be  long  and  expensive,  and 
by  using  a  little  craft  you  can  easily  gain  the  whole  for 
yourself.  Then  you  could  make  magnificent  amends  to 
Jasper,  and  I  think  you  like  him." 

Clare  flushed  deeply. 

"  I  shall  use  no  craft,  Miss  Coyle.  I  hate  the  word  ; 
and  it  is  utterly  foreign  to  my  nature  to  feign  anything  I 
really  do  not  feel." 

"  I  know  that  you  are  a  dear,  open-hearted,  ingenuous 
creature,  and  that  is  why  I  like  you.  I  used  the  wrong 
word  ;  I  only  me'ant  that  you  should  use  all  your  efforts 
to  keep  on  the  right  side  of  Mrs.  Adair,  and  act  as  she 
may  in  the  interim — and  she  does  act  very  strangely  at 
times  toward  those  dependent  on  her  caprices — she  will 
eventually  come  round,  and  give  up  her  present  fancy 
to  make  a  match  between  you  and  Walter  Brooke." 

Clare  faced  her  suddenly,  and,  with  some  vehemence, 
said : 

"  If  my  favor  depends  on  that,  my  aunt  had  better 
understand  at  once  that  I  will  never  accept  Mr. 
Brooke." 


302       A     NEW    WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

"  Really  I  thought  he  stood  a  fair  chance  to  win  you, 
Clare.  You  allow  him  to  devote  himself  to  you,  and 
you  heard  what  Mrs.  Adair  said  this  morning." 

"  I  remember ;  but  she  did  not  seem  at  all  angry  when 
I  told  her  he  has  no  chance  of  success." 

"  Mrs.  Adair  knows  too  much  of  life  to  take  so  young 
a  girl  as  you  at  her  word.  Rely  on  it,  she  will  make 
you  feel  her  displeasure  after  she  has  time  to  think  over 
what  you  said.  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  she  with- 
drew from  you  all  manifestations  of  affection  till  you 
are  penitent,  and  show  a  willingness  to  fall  into  her 
views." 

Clare  grew  pale,  but  she  firmly  said : 

"I  scarcely  think  my  aunt  will  be  so  unjust.  You 
give  me  a  strange  idea  of  her,  Claudia,  yet  she  lias  been 
very  kind  to  you." 

"  My  dear,  you  have  only  seen  one  phase  of  her 
character  yet,  and  I  am  only  trying  to  prepare  you  for 
what  may  come.  She  spoke  with  me  after  you  left  the 
room,  and  she  wrought  herself  into  such  a  state  of  ex- 
citement that  I  was  forced  to  summon  Mona  to  her 
assistance.  She  has  spells  of  ill  temper,  and  while  she  is 
in  them  there  is  no  managing  her  at  all.  She  will  not 
listen  to  reason,  and  at  such  times  she  does  the  strangest 
and  hardest  things." 

"And  I  have  really  offended  her?"  asked  Clare,  with 
pale  lips.  "  Is  there  no  way  of  reinstating  myself  except 
by  consenting  to  marry  Mr.  Brooke  ?  " 

"None  at  present;  but  she  may  take  another  caprice 
when  her  fit  of  anger  is  over.  All  you  can  do  is  to  let 
Walter  come  as  usual,  and  let  her  think  that  time  may 
win  you  over  to  her  wishes." 


CROSS     PURPOSES.  303 

"  But  that  will  be  treating  Mr.  Brooke  badly.  He 
might  hope  for  what  I  can  never  bestow  on  him." 

"It  is  a  miserable  complication,"  said  Claudia,  with 
a  vexed  air.  "  What  a  pity  it  is  that  the  old  stories 
about  love  philters  is  not  true!  If  it  were,  now,  you 
could  make  her  love  you  in  spite  of  any  opposition  you 
may  make  to  her  strange  whim  to  marry  you  to  Walter 
Brooke." 

"  I  have  heard  of  such  things,"  said  Clar,e,  flushing 
deeply ;  wondering  how  Claudia  came  to  speak  in  this 
way,  yet  mistrusting  nothing ;  "  but  of  course  it  is  all 
nonsense  to  believe  in  them." 

After  musing  a  few  moments,  Claudia  said : 

"It  seems  an  absurd  superstition,  but  /am  silly 
enough  to  believe  in  it.  I  have  some  reason,  however; 
for  I  have  known  one  case  in  which  a  magic  liquid  given 
to  an  obstinate  old  man  produced  the  most  marvellous 
effects.  He  gave  up  his  intention  to  bequeath  his  property 
to  charities,  and  left  his  sister  and  children  rich.  Till  the 
love-charm  Mrs.  Anson  had  prepared  was  administered 
to  him  by  her  own  hand,  but  without  his  knowledge,  he 
had  become  so  much  estranged  from  her  that  there  was 
little  hope  she  would  inherit  anything." 

"You  really  knew  this  yourself,  Claudia?"  was  the 
eager  inquiry  of  her  companion.  "  Oh,  if  I  only  could 
believe  as  you  do  !" 

"  I  cannot  see  how  it  would  benefit  you  if  you  did 
believe.  You  are  so  timid,  you  would  never  dare  to 
try  it  yourself." 

"  I — I  do  not  know  about  that.  I  might  be  tempted 
to  try  it,  if  I  thought  no  injurious  effects  would  follow 
the  potion,"  said  Clare,  more  as  if  she  were  speaking  to 
herself  than  to  her  companion. 


304      A     NEW     WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

"  What  a  little  goose  you  are,  child  !  How  would  it 
be  possible  for  you  to  obtain  such  a  thing  here?  I  can 
reassure  you  on  one  point,  though.  Such  things  are 
compounded  of  ingredients  that  are  perfectly  harmless 
in  themselves.  As  a  proof  of  it,  the  old  gentleman  I 
referred  to  lived  many  weeks  longer  than  his  physicians 
thought  it  possible,  and  his  sister  believed  that  the  stim- 
ulating properties  of  the  philter  sustained  his  strength." 

Clare  listened  with  the  desire  to  believe,  and  she  did 
not  suspect  for  one  moment  that  Claudia  knew  of  the 
bottle  she  jealously  concealed  in  her  trunk — that  she 
was  tempting  her  to  destroy  the  life  of  her  aunt,  by 
secretly  using  its  contents. 

There  is  a  wonderful  fascination  to  most  minds  in  the 
occult  mystery  of  such  preparations ;  aud  Clare,  in  the 
ignorance  and  simplicity  of  her  youth,  had  full  faith  in 
them.  Her  superstitious  old  nurse  had  told  her  innu- 
merable stories  bearing  on  this  subject ;  and  here  was 
an  educated  woman  of  the  world  bearing  witness  to  the 
truth  of  old  Dolly's  revelations. 

In  the  sunshine  of  her  aunt's  favor,  she  had  almost 
forgotten  the  Elixir  of  Love,  as  it  was  labelled ;  but 
now,  with  a  beating  heart,  she  thought,  if  Claudia's 
warning  proved  true,  and  her  aunt  was  really  offended 
with  her,  there  would  be  no  harm  in  testing  its  efficacy. 

After  a  long  pause,  during  which  Claudia  watched  her 
furtively,  Clare  said,  with  a  sigh  : 

"  I  can  only  hope  that  my  aunt  will  get  over  her 
vexation  about  Mr.  Brooke,  for  I  cannot  accept  him.  I 
cannot  help  thinking  it  will  be  best  to  bear  the  brunt  of 
her  anger  at  once,  and  not  attempt  to  play  a  double 
part." 


CROSS     PURPOSES.  305 

"  I  assure  you  that  would  ruin  all.  In  her  anger  Mrs. 
Adair  would  be  quite  capable  of  sending  you  away  at 
once.  Indeed  she  threatened  as  much,  and  said  she 
would  withdraw  the  allowance  she  agreed  to  give  your 
mother,  if  you  refuse  to  accept  the  husband  she  has 
selected  for  you." 

Poor  Clare  felt  as  if  she  should  faint.  She  sat  down 
on  a  rustic  seat  beneath  one  of  the  trees,  and  for  several 
moments  was  too  much  overcome  to  speak. 

With  affected  compassion,  Claudia  said  : 

"  It  is  very  hard,  dear,  and  very  cruel  in  your  aunt ; 
but  if  you,  at  present,  seem  determined  to  thwart  her 
wishes,  she  will  be  capable  of  carrying  out  her  threat. 
I  take  a  warm  interest  in  you,  Clare,  and  if  you  will  be 
counselled  by  me,  you  will  yet  be  the  mistress  of  this 
place,  and  can  choose  the  husband  you  will  prefer  your- 
self." 

Clare  suddenly  recalled  Mr.  Clifford's  cautions,  and 
she  asked : 

"  Why  should  you  wish  me  to  be  the  heiress,  Claudia? 
If  my  aunt  passes  me  by,  she  will  probably  give  her 
fortune  to  you." 

"  I  could  not  keep  it  in  peace  if  she  did ;  and  the 
world  would  censure  me  for  creeping  into  Mrs.  Adair's 
confidence,  and  abusing  it  to  serve  my  own  interests.  I 
beg  that  you  will  believe  me  incapable  of  that,  Clare.  I 
am  too  sensitive,  perhaps,  but  I  cannot  bear  to  have  my 
conduct  impugned,  and  motives  attributed  to  me  which 
would  dishonor  me  in  the  estimation  of  good  people. 
Only  be  patient,  use  a  little  finesse,  and  your  aunt,  when 
she  gets  over  this  absurd  tantrum,  will  be  fonder  of  you 
than  ever.  Indeed,  she  may  atone  for  her  temporary 
19 


306       A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN    A    FOKTUNE 

injustice  by  allowing  you  to  have  your  own  way  in 
everything.  Like  most  people  who  are  guided  by  im- 
pulse, Mrs.  Adair  is  always  in  extremes." 

Claudia  spoke  with  such  apparent  frankness  that 
Clare's  suspicions  were  disarmed.  It  is  difficult  for  a 
generous  and  confiding  nature  to  believe  in  the  duplicity 
of  another,  and  this  hapless  young  creature,  left  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  so  heartless  a  plotter  as  Claudia  Coyle, 
had  no  means  of  testing  her  truth  except  by  such  small 
experience  as  she  had  acquired  in  the  few  years  of  her 
short  life. 

She  gave  her  hand  to  Claudia,  and  said  : 

"I  fear  that  I  have  been  unjust  to  you,  Claudia.  I 
hate  double-dealing,  but  I  feel  that  in  this  instance 
nothing  is  left  to  me  but  to  play  a  part  that  is  odious 
to  me.  No  doubt  you  advise  me  for  the  best,  and  I  will 
do  the  best  I  can  to  bring  back  my  aunt's  good-humor 
with  me.  I  will  go  in  now,  and  see  how  she  will 
receive  me." 

Claudia  pulled  her  veil  over  her  face  to  conceal  its 
triumphant  expression  from  her  poor  deceived  victim, 
and  they  moved  together  toward  the  house. 


CLARE    ENSNARED.  307 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

CLAEE  ENSNARED. 

CLARE  ascended  to  her  own  apartment,  and  made 
an  effort  to  compose  herself  before  she  went  to  her 
aunt.  She  had  fallen  into  the  habit  of  going  to  her 
before  luncheon  was  served,  and  reading  to  her  the  let- 
ters that  came  by  the  morning  mail,  and  such  fragments 
of  news  from  the  daily  papers  as  she  thought  would 
interest  Mrs.  Adair. 

For  the  first  time  since  the  day  of  her  advent  at  River- 
dale,  she  trembled  at  the  thought  of  entering  that  room ; 
but  when  the  alabaster  time-piece  on  the  mantel  rang 
out  the  hour  of  twelve,  she  knew  that  no  more  time  for 
hesitation  was  allowed  her.  She  must  go,  or  risk  offend- 
ing her  aunt  still  more  deeply,  by  appearing  to  neglect 
her. 

She  smoothed  her  hair,  gave  a  glance  at  her  perturbed 
face,  and  ran  down-stairs  rapidly,  that  her  courage  might 
not  fail  her  before  she  gained  the  door  of  her  aunt's 
apartment. 

She  found  it  half  open,  and  the  scent  of  sal  volatile 
floated  out  on  the  air.  As  she  would  have  entered, 
Mona  came  forward  and  said,  in  very  low  tones : 

"  Souse  me,  Miss  Clare,  but  mistis  an't  well,  an'  she 
tole  me  special  that  you  wa'n't  to  be  'lowed  to  come  nigh 
of  her  agin  to-day.  She's  bin  in  a  orfle  tantrum  sense 
Miss  Claudy  was  with  her,  but  I  dunno  what  it's  all 
about.  Ef  Marse  Dick,  I  mean  Mr.  Clifford,  was  here 
now,  he  might  bring  her  roun',  but  he's  gone  away  to 
stay  more'n  a  week." 


308       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOETUNE. 

"  Yes,  I  know.  I  saw  him  before  he  left/'  said  Clare, 
though  she  was  scarcely  aware  of  what  she  was  saying, 
so  stunning  was  this  confirmation  of  Claudia's  words. 
"  Oh,  Mona !  what  shall  I  do  to  allay  my  aunt's  dis- 
pleasure? Only  this  morning  she  seemed  so  happy  to 
have  me  with  her,  and  now  I  am  refused  admittance  to 
her  room." 

"  You  can't  do  nothin',  Miss  Clare,  but  wait  till  the 
inistis  conres  back  to  her  right  self.  When  she's  in  one 
o'  these  spells  'tan't  no  use  to  try  to  do  nothin'  with  her. 
She  won't  listen  to  reason,  nohow.  I'm  yer  friend, 
Miss  Clare,  and  I'll  try  to  git  her  in  a  pleasant  humor 
with  you  agin." 

"  Thank  you,  Mona,  but  I  am  afraid  that  my  aunt — " 

She  broke  off  abruptly,  conscious  that  Mona  was  not  a 
suitable  confidant  of  her  troubles;  but  if  her  pride 
would  have  allowed  her  to  speak  to  the  faithful  servitor, 
she  might  have  learned  that  which  would  have  saved  her 
from  the  desperate  resource  she  was  ready  to  adopt  to 
win  back  the  favor  of  her  aunt. 

Suddenly  a  sharp,  quavering  voice  issued  from  the 
chamber  of  Mrs.  Adair : 

"  Who  is  there,  and  why  are  you  staying  away  from 
me  so  long,  Mona?  Come  back  here;  I  need  you. 
W"ho  are  you  talking  with  ?  " 

Clare  summoned  courage  to  step  beyond  the  threshold, 
and  say : 

"  It  is  I,  aunt.  I  come  as  usual  to  read  to  you,  and  I 
am  sorry  to  find  you  so  ill.  Will  you  not  allow  me  to 
do  something  for  you  ?  " 

The  room  was  darkened,  but  there  was  light  enough 
to  see  the  drawn  face  and  wild  eyes  of  the  old  lady,  who 


CLARE     ENSNARED.  309 

was  supported  by  pillows  on  a  couch  which  had  been 
drawn  to  the  centre  of  the  floor.  She  made  an  effort  to 
raise  herself,  and  her  shrill  tones  rang  in  Clare's  ears  long 
afterward. 

"  You — you  have  dared  to  intrude  into  my  room,  after 
I  had  given  my  orders  that  you  were  not  to  do  so  ?  I 
am  still  mistress  in  my  own  house,  Clare  Desmond,  and 
I  bid  you  go  now,  and  not  come  to  me  again  till  you 
understand  that  my  will  shall  be  law  to  all  who  are 
dependent  upon  me." 

"  Oh,  aunt,  make  your  will  clear  to  me,  and — and  I 
will  try  to  do  it,  however  difficult  it  may  be.  I  will  try 
— I  will  indeed,"  and  the  voice  of  the  unhappy  speaker 
broke  almost  into  a  wail. 

Mrs.  Adair  was  unmoved  by  her  emotion.  She 
angrily  said  : 

"  You  understand  my  wishes  well  enough,  though  you 
have  chosen  to  run  counter  to  them.  You  have  forced 
yourself  in  here  to  agitate  me  still  further,  I  suppose, 
that  you  may  destroy  me  before  my  will  is  made.  Then, 
you  think,  my  property  must  go  to  your  family  and  the 
Cliffords,  as  the  legal  heirs.  Oh,  I  understand  your 
tactics,  deceitful  girl  that  you  are  !  " 

Clare  had  been  very  pale  before,  but  a  crimson  flush 
now  leaped  to  her  cheeks.  She  threw  up  her  head 
proudly  at  this  accusation,  and  in  low,  concentrated  tones, 
said : 

"  I  am  sorry,  aunt,  that  you  think  so  meanly  of  me, 
but  I  assure  you — " 

Mrs.  Adair  shook  her  hand  violently,  and  almost 
screamed  : 

'  Do  you  dare  to  stand  there  and  attempt  to  defend 


310       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

yourself  when  I  bid  ycu  go  ?  Do  you  wish  to  Mil  me, 
that  you  throw  me  into  such  a  state  of  excitement  as  may 
have  that  effect  ?  I  will  not  hear  another  word.  Go ! 
go!  go!" 

Clare  unclosed  her  lips  to  say  she  would  not  only  leave 
her  room,  but  her  house,  that  very  hour,  unless  she 
recalled  her  unjust  accusations,  but  Mona  almost  forcibly 
drew  her  from  the  apartment,  and  eagerly  whispered : 

"  You  mus'n't — you  mus'n't  say  nothin'  to  her  when 
she's  on  her  high  horse.  You  just  wait  an'  see,  Miss 
Clare,  and  when  Marse  Dick  comes  back,  he'll  set  it  all 
right.  You  mus'n't  come  anigh  her  ag'in  till  she  sends 
for  you.  She'll  be  sho  to  do  it,  honey,  ef  you'll  only  be 
patient." 

The  woman  went  back  to  her  mistress,  and  Clare, 
moving  like  one  in  a  dream,  went  slowly  back  to  her 
own  apartment.  She  had  no  appetite  for  luncheon,  and 
when  Lyra  was  sent  to  summon  her,  she  excused  herself 
under  the  plea  of  a  severe  headache. 

It  was  true  enough  that  both  head  and  heart  were 
aching,  and  she  had  wept  herself  almost  sick  over  this 
sudden  change  in  the  prospects  that  had  seemed  so  bright 
only  a  few  hours  before. 

An  hour  later  Claudia  came  up  to  her,  bringing  a  cup 
of  strong  tea,  which  she  declared  a  sovereign  remedy  for 
headache  and  disordered  nerves.  After  much  persuasion, 
Clare  was  induced  to  swallow  a  portion  of  it,  though  she 
felt  as  if  each  drop  choked  her. 

Her  false  adviser  softly  said : 

"  I  am  so  sorry  that  you  would  go  in  Mrs.  Adair's 
room  after  she  had  ordered  that  you  should  not  do  so. 
You  begin  to  understand  now  the  kind  of  person  she  is. 


CLARE     ENSNAEED.  311 

I  have  been  almost  inclined  to  believe  that  she  has  peri- 
odical attacks  of  lunacy,  for  in  no  other  way  can  I  account 
for  the  strange  vagaries  she  takes  in  her  head." 

"  She  seems  to  be  under  a  strange  hallucination  con- 
cerning myself/'  said  Clare,  in  a  broken  voice.  "  I  feel 
so  insulted  that  I  almost  think  it  would  be  right  for  me 
to  pack  up  my  things  and  leave  this  house  at  once.  If 
it  were  not  for  the  disappointment  of  my  parents  I 
would  not  hesitate  a  moment.  Oh,  Claudia,  I  find  my 
position  here  a  cruel  one,  and  only  this  morning  I  was 
so  happy ! " 

"  My  dear  girl,  you  must  not  take  this  little  flare-up 
so  much  to  heart.  I  have  borne  as  hard  things  from 
Mrs.  Adair;  but  when  she  got  over  her  anger,  she  used 
every  effort  to  make  atonement  for  her  injustice.  You 
would  ruin  yourself  and  your  parents,  by  acting  so  pre- 
cipitately." 

"  I  know  that,  and  I  must  stay — that  is  the  hardest 
part  of  it.  If  Mr.  Clifford  were  only  here,  he  would  tell 
me  what  I  ought  to  do.  I  think  1  Avill  write  to  papa, 
and  ask  him  to  come  here  to  set  things  straight,  and  if 
that  can't  be  done,  to  take  me  away  with  him." 

Claudia  seemed  to  reflect  a  moment,  and  then  she 
said : 

"  I  am  convinced  that  if  Mr.  Desmond  came  at  your 
bidding,  your  aunt  would  be  irrevocably  offended.  By 
the  time  he  could  get  here  she  will  probably  be  in 
a  good-humor  with  you,  and  ready  to  load  you  with 
favors,  to  make  up  for  her  harshness  to-day.  Besides,  it 
would  make  your  family  very  miserable  to  know  that 
your  bright  prospects  are  so  soon  clouded  over." 

"  I  believe  you  are  right,  and  I  must  bear  on,  I  sup- 


312       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

pose,  till — till  my  aunt  finds  out  that  I  am  not  so 
mercenary  as  to  calculate  on  her  death,  as  she  said  this 
morning." 

"Did  she  really  hint  such  a  thing  as  that?  Poor  old 
lady,  that  is  her  weak  point ;  she  fancies  that  all  who 
approach  her  are  trying  to  gain  her  favor,  that  they  may 
be  remembered  in  her  will.  That  is  why  I  entreated  her 
to  bring  you  here.  It  was  the  only  thing  I  could  do,  to 
show  her  that  I  had  no  mercenary  motives  in  bearing 
with  her  singular  temper  as  I  have  done." 

"But  it  is  different  with  me,  Claudia.  I  am  her  niece, 
and  my  mother  is  her  legal  heiress.  She  sent  for  me 
herself;  my  parents  have  never,  in  their  darkest  days, 
appealed  to  her  for  assistance,  and  her  own  judgment 
should  tell  her  that  she  wrongs  me  deeply  by  such 
degrading  suspicions." 

"  So  it  will  in  a  short  time.  When  Mrs.  Adair  is 
in  one  of  her  tempers  she  has  no  judgment;  but  when 
the  reaction  comes,  she  sees  how  absurdly  she  has  acted, 
and  she  tries  to  atone  for  it.  Only  do  all  you  can 
to  make  her  love  you,  Clare,  and  tilings  will  soon 
mend." 

"I  will  bear  it  a  few  weeks  as  you  advise,"  said  Clare, 
thinking  of  her  elixir,  and  fast  making  up  her  mind  to 
use  it.  "  I  shall  not  marry  Mr.  Brooke ;  if  her  heart  is 
set  on  that,  she  must  be  disappointed,  for  I  like  sonic- 
body  else  better.  In  fact,  I  gave  him  to  understand  last 
night  that  there  is  no  hope  for  him  ;  but  if  he  chooses  to 
flutter  around  me  still,  I  will  permit  him  to  do  so, 
till—" 

She  paused  abruptly,  and  Claudia  asked : 

"Till  when — till  what?     I  am  curious  to  know." 


CLAKE     ENSNAKED.  313 

A  faint  smile  flitted  over  the  sad  face  of  the  poor  girl, 
and  she  more  cheerfully  said  : 

"Till  I  have  time  to  charm  my  aunt  back  to  the 
state  of  feeling  she  was  in  toward  me  till  this  unlucky 
morning.  I  believe  I  have  the  power  to  do  it,  Claudia, 
and  no  effort  shall  be  wanting  on  my  part." 

"  That  is  right,  dear.  I  thought  your  courage  would 
rise  to  the  occasion.  Only  do  that,  and  all  will  be  safe. 
This  beautiful  home,  with  an  income  more  than  adequate 
to  support  it,  will  be  well  worth  a  more  difficult  struggle 
than  yours  will  prove." 

"  Beautiful  as  it  is,  I  would  rather  never  call  it  mine 
than  purchase  it  at  the  price  my  aunt  demands.  I  told 
her  I  would  try  to  please  her,  if  she  would  tell  me  what 
she  wished ;  but  she  only  replied  that  I.  understood  her 
wishes  well  enough.  You  say  that  her  whim  ia  to-  marry 
me  to  "Walter  Brooke,  but  I  can't — I  can't  do  that,  come 
what  will." 

"  I  understand  that,  and  I  do  not  blame  you,  for 
Walter  is  not  very  attractive,  and  some  day  he  will 
become  as  great  an  oddity  as  his  father.  Only  keep  up  a 
semblance  of  bearing  with  him,  for  a  week  or  two,  and 
by  that  time  another  fancy  may  seize  on  your  aunt,  and 
one  more  agreeable  to  you  than  this  has  proved." 

Clare  blushed  and  smiled,  and  the  astute  schemer 
hugged  to  her  heart  the  conviction  that  her  victim  had 
entered  the  net  so  remorselessly  spread  for  her — that  its 
meshes  would  soon  entangle  her  beyond  escape. 

She  stooped  over  Clare,  and  kissing  her  with  her 
treacherous  lips,  said : 

"  I  will  leave  you  now,  my  dear,  to  compose  yourself; 
for  I  can  see  that  you  have  been  very  much  agitated  by 


314       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

this  unhappy  freak  of  Mrs.  Adair's.  Console  yourself 
with  the  thought  that  you  are  not  the  only  sufferer  from 
her  singular  temper,  for  I  have  a  great  deal  to  bear  from 
her  myself." 

When  the  door  closed  on  Claudia,  Clare  arose  from 
the  sofa  on  which  she  had  been  reclining,  and  turned  the 
key  in  the  lock.  She  then  took  from  her  trunk  a  small 
Chinese  box  of  octagon  shape,  which  was  so  constructed 
that,  to  the  uninitiated,  no  method  of  opening  it  was  to 
be  found.  Inserting  her  finger  nail  in  a  crevice  below 
the  feet  of  the  Eastern  beauty  who  smiled  on  its  lid, 
Clare  unclosed  a  revolving  drawer,  in  which,  imbedded 
in  pink  cotton,  and  the  stopple  carefully  covered  with 
kid,  lay  the  tiny  bottle  given  to  her  by  old  Dolly. 

She  trembled  and  changed  color  as  she  looked  at  it, 
but  it  was  not  from  dread.  That  the  elixir  should  affect 
her  aunt  physically,  had  never  once  occurred  to  the 
thoughtless  girl.  Assured  that  it  would  act  marvel- 
lously on  her  mental  condition,  Clare  gave  no  thought 
to  anything  beyond  that,  and  utterly  ignorant  of  the  trick 
that  had  been  played  on  the  old  nurse,  she  speedily 
made  up  her  mind  to  commence  the  use  of  the  charm 
that  very  evening,  if  she  could  gain  admittance  to  Mrs. 
Adair's  chamber  without  being  seen. 

Clare  for  the  first  time  removed  the  folds  of  kid,  and 
found  beneath  it  a  silver  shield  which  screwed  down  over 
the  glass  stopple,  and  the  latter  fitted  so  tight  that  some 
effort  was  required  to  open  it. 

She  felt  some  surprise  that  the  old  negro  fortune-teller 
should  have  put  the  liquid  up  so  neatly,  but  no  suspicion 
entered  her  mind  that  another  hand  than  hers  had  pre- 
pared the  potion  within. 


CLARE     ENSNARED.  315 

She  tried  to  test  its  harmlessness  on  herself  before 
attempting  to  use  it  on  her  aunt.  She  poured  a  few  drops 
in  water,  and  drank  it  off,  but  the  liquid  was  both  taste- 
less and  scentless,  and  she  felt  no  effects  from  the  portion 
she  had  taken. 

"  It  cannot  harm  her  any  way,"  she  murmured  to  her- 
self; "and  desperate  cases  require  desperate  remedies. 
This  may  have  no  effect,  but  I  will  try  it  at  all  events." 

Having  thus  definitely  made  up  her  mind,  Clare  be- 
came more  composed,  and  she  made  her  toilet  for  the  late 
dinner  with  as  much  care  as  usual.  The  tiny  vial,  wrap- 
ped in  tissue  paper,  was  placed  in  the  pocket  of  her  dress, 
ready  for  use,  if  the  opportunity  was  afforded  to  enter 
Mrs.  Adair's  room  unobserved,  and  mingle  a  portion  of 
its  contents  with  the  carafe  of  lemonade  which  was 
always  placed  beside  the  old  lady's  bed.  She  had  heard 
her  aunt  say  that  she  drank  its  contents  before  dawn, 
and  sometimes  aroused  her  attendant  to  prepare  more; 
so  Clare  felt  quite  sure  that  the  drops  she  mingled  with 
the  draught  would  all  be  taken. 

Claudia  intended  to  afford  her  the  opportunity  she  de- 
sired, to  get  into  Mrs.  Adair's  room  without  detection ; 
for  one  glance  at  Clare's  face  when  she  came  down  gave 
her  the  conviction  that  all  doubts  were  at  an  end,  and 
the  power  of  the  fatal  elixir  would  be  tried. 

She  had  been  with  Mrs.  Adair,  and  persuaded  her 
that,  later  in  the  day,  she  would  feel  better  if  she  would 
suffer  herself  to  be  dressed,  and  take  a  drive  in  the  cool 
evening  hours.  In  her  present  state  of  irritation  toward 
her  niece,  Claudia  felt  certain  that  she  would  not  be 
asked  to  accompany  them.  In  their  absence,  the  room 
of  the  old  lady  would  be  arranged  for  the  night,  and  the 


316        A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

opportunity  Clare  desired,  to  enter  it  unobserved,  could 
easily  be  found  after  Mona  retired. 

Did  not  one  pang  of  doubt  assail  this  ruthless  plotter, 
as  she  consigned  the  woman  who  had  been  a  good  friend 
to  her  to  the  pangs  of  slow,  yet  certain  death  ?  Did  not 
her  heart  shrink  from  the  consummation  of  this  evil  deed, 
through  the  innocent  agency  of  the  helpless  young  girl 
she  had  determined  to  victimize  ? 

If  such  feelings  assailed  her  there  was  no  outward 
sign,  for  Claudia  was  as  serenely  beautiful  as  ever ;  and 
at  dinner  she  exerted  herself  to  enliven  the  two  who  sat 
almost  silent  at  the  board,  scarcely  tasting  the  viands  set 
before  them. 

Jasper  looked  as  if  he  had  passed  through  a  fierce 
mental  struggle ;  he  was  pale  and  preoccupied,  and  made 
no  effort  to  do  more  than  attend  to  the  courtesies  of  the 
table.  As  soon  as  politeness  permitted  he  withdrew,  and 
left  the  two  girls  together. 

With  a  mocking  laugh,  Claudia  said : 

"  Young  Grandairs  seems  to  be  in  bad  spirits  to-day. 
What  did  you  say  to  him  this  morning  that  induced  him 
to  wrap  the  drapery  of  his  pride  around  him,  and  play 
the  part  of  a  sulky  Timon  after  this  disagreeable 
fashion?" 

Clare  flushed  painfully. 

"  I — I — have  nothing  to  do  with  Mr.  Clifford's  want 
of  spirits.  We  had  some  words  this  morning,  but  his 
father  interfered,  and  induced  us  to  make  friends  again." 

"Ah-h — he  was  jealous  of  Walter  Brooke,  I  suppose. 
I  saw  him  scowling  after  you  as  you  went  with  him  last 
evening.  Tell  me  the  truth  now,  Clare ;  would  you  be 
so  rebellious  against  Mrs.  Adair's  wishes,  if  they  pointed 
to  Jasper  in  place  of  the  other  ?  " 


CLARE     ENSNARED.  317 

;<I  cannot  answer  such  a  question  as  that,  Claudia. 
But  I  must  say  it  seems  strange  to  me  that  my  aunt  does 
not  prefer  Jasper  before  Mr.  Brooke — and — and  wish  me 
to  like  him  best,  in  place  of  the  other." 

"Jasper  was  unfortunate  enough  to  offend  her,  and 
Mrs.  Adair  is  very  vindictive.  She  is  the  most  difficult 
person  to  propitiate,  and  to  tell  the  truth,  Jasper  takes 
very  little  pains  to  set  himself  right  with  her.  My 
question  is  sufficiently  answered,  Clare,  and  I  shall  take 
such  measures  as  will  bring  about  a  better  understanding 
between  Jasper  and  the  old  lady.  Walter  Brooke  will 
not  give  you  up  with  the  first  repulse,  for  he  is  a  most 
tenacious  person.  If  you  will  be  civil  to  him  for  a  few 
weeks,  I  will  work  on  the  old  lady's  mind  till  she 
becomes  disgusted  with  the  union  she  has  herself  planned, 
and  become  anxious  to  substitute  Jasper  in  Walter's 
place.  If  this  will  be  agreeable  to  you,  say  so;  for  I 
know  that  Jasper  is  in  love  with  you — that  he  would 
ask  you  to  marry  him,  if  he  did  not  believe  it  would 
ruin  you  in  the  estimation  of  Mrs.  Adair  if  you  accepted 
him." 

During  this  long  speech  Clare's  face  was  a  study,  and 
the  astute  eyes  that  rested  on  her  read  each  flitting  emo- 
tion as  clearly  as  if  it  had  been  put  into  words.  She  now 
tremulously  exclaimed  : 

"  Oh,  Claudia  !  if  I  dared  to  trust  you  !  " 

"Why  should  you  not  trust  me,  you  dear,  innocent 
child  !  Mr.  Clifford  has  probably  warned  you  to  beware 
of  me,  and  made  you  look  on  me  as  a  serpent  that  is  ready 
to  coil  around  you  and  stifle  you,  that  you  may  be  safely 
out  of  my  way.  But,  Clare,  he  grievously  misjudges  me, 
as  I  will  prove  to  you.  Only  follow  my  advice  while  my 


318       A     NEW     WAY    TO     WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

enemy  is  away,  and  when  he  returns,  and  finds  you  the 
betrothed  of  his  son,  he  will  make  the  amende  honorable 
by  confessing  that  he  has  too  harshly  spoken  of  me." 

The  magnetic  power  possessed  by  the  speaker,  aided 
by  her  soft,  caressing  manner,  brought  the  true,  simple- 
hearted  creature  against  whom  her  wiles  were  practised, 
entirely  under  her  influence.  Like  the  timid  bird 
charmed  by  its  feline  enemy,  all  power  of  resistance 
seemed  to  leave  Clare,  and  she  faintly  said : 

"  I  leave  my  cause  in  your  hands,  Claudia.  If  you 
are  not  true,  you  are  the  most  false  and  specious  of 
women.  I  promise  to  follow  your  advice  implicitly, 
and  may  God  deal  with  you  as  you  are  true  to  your 
pledges." 

"  "What  a  solemn  little  goose  you  are,  Clare !  I  will  be 
true  to  my  promises,  and  if  you  will  only  make  Jasper 
as  jealous  as  possible,  I  will  answer  for  it  that  in  two 
weeks'  time  he  will  be  at  your  feet,  and  with  the  consent 
of  your  aunt  too.  Some  people  have  a  talent  for 
management,  and  I  may  boast  that  I  have  never  yet 
undertaken  to  accomplish  a  thing  without  succeeding. 
When  you  are  mistress  of  Riverdale,  I  shall  expect  you 
to  be  very  generous  to  me,  my  dear.  Perhaps,  if  I  tell 
you  tliat  I  am  not  perfectly  disinterested,  you  will  have 
more  faith  in  me,  eh  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  will  do  what  I  can  for  you,  Claudia,  if 
— if  all  goes  right  j  but  I  have  no  power  at  present  to 
pledge  myself  to  anything." 

The  two  were  walking  on  the  lawn  while  this  conver- 
sation took  place,  and  it  was  interrupted  by  the  appear- 
ance of  the  carriage  Doming  around  the  drive. 

Claudia  hastily  said : 


A     CONSULTATION.  319 

"We  understand  each  other,  Clare,  and  I  ask  no 
promise  from  you.  I  can  rely  on  your  generosity  when 
you  possess  the  power  to  make  me  independent  of  the 
caprices  of  such  women  as  your  aunt.  I  must  go  to  her 
now,  as  she  intends  to  take  an  airing,  and  I  would  advise 
you  not  to  approach  her  just  now.  She  has  said  that  I 
alone  am  to  accompany  her." 

Clare  felt  wounded,  for  she  had  never  before  been 
passed  over  in  this  way,  but  she  silently  bowed,  and 
turned  off  in  another  direction. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

A   CONSULTATION   BETWEEN   SPIERS   AND   CLAUDIA. 

IN  the  gathering  twilight  the  carriage  rolled  away,  and 
Clare  Desmond  stood  looking  after  it  with  a  feeling 
of  desertion  and  desolation  that  was  very  difficult  to  bear. 

She  walked  through  the  grounds  till  lights  gleamed 
from  the  house,  and  then  suddenly  recalling  the  purpose 
she  had  so  fully  matured  in  her  own  mind,  she  walked 
rapidly  toward  the  wing  in  which  her  aunt's  apartments 
Avere  situated. 

The  windows  opened  to  the  floor  of  the  balcony,  which 
was  entered  by  a  flight  of  steps  ascending  from  the  flower- 
garden  below.  The  curtains  were  only  partially  lowered, 
and  the  blinds  had  been  thrown  back  to  admit  the  even- 
ing air.  A  shaded  lamp  stood  on  a  circular  table  drawn 
near  the  bed,  and  beside  it  was  a  Bohemian  glass  carafe, 
with  a,  drinking  cup  turned  down  over  its  mouth.  The 


320       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FOKTUNE. 

lace  mosquito  curtains  were  drawn  and  carefully  tucked 
in,  and  everything  had  evidently  been  arranged  by  Mona 
for  the  night. 

Clare  stood  pale  and  almost  breathless  outside  of  the 
window,  hesitating  at  this  last  moment  to  enter  her 
aunt's  room  like  a  midnight  assassin,  and  meddle  with 
the  draught  prepared  for  her.  Once  she  turned  back 
irresolutely,  but  the  thought  of  how  much  was  at  stake 
for  herself  and  her  parents  impelled  her  on  again,  and 
muttering : 

"I  will  do  it  at  all  hazards,"  she  turned  rapidly, 
passed  into  the  dimly-lighted  room,  and,  after  listening  a 
moment  to  assure  herself  that  all  was  still,  approached 
the  table,  and  with  trembling  fingers  mingled  a  few  drops 
from  her  magic  potion  with  the  lemonade. 

Clare  fled  rapidly  from  the  room,  but  paused  on  the 
balcony  to  utter  a  fervent  prayer  for  the  success  of  her 
efforts  to  win  back  the  love  and  confidence  of  her  aunt. 
She  then  returned  to  the  other  portion  of  the  house,  and 
encountered  Jasper  as  she  entered  the  hall. 

He  -was  struck  by  her  extreme  pallor  and  the  perturbed 
expression  of  her  face.  Apparently  forgetful  of  his  late 
pique,  he  approached  her,  and  asked : 

"Are  you  ill,  Clare  ?  And  how  is  it  that  my  aunt 
went  out  without  taking  you  with  her  ?  " 

"  I — I  am  not  ill,  but  I  am  distressed,  Jasper.  I  have 
lost  favor  because — because  I  cannot  bend  myself  utterly 
to  my  aunt's  will.  Until  to-day  she  was  all  kindness, 
but  something — I  cannot  explain  what — has  made  her 
angry  with  me.  Oh,  Jasper,  I  wish  your  father  had  not 
gone  away.  Somehow  I  feel  as  if  I  shall  get  into  trouble 
without  him.  to  advise  me." 


A    CONSULTATION.  321 

"  Can  you  not  have  the  same  confidence  in  me, 
Clare  ?  My  father  told  you  you  might  rely  on  me,  you 
know." 

"  Yes ;  but  I  cannot  speak  freely  to  you  as  I  could  to 
him.  Any  appearance  of  intimacy  between  us  would 
only  anger  my  aunt  more  deeply  with  both  of  us." 

He  sighed  deeply,  and  averted  his  eyes  from  the  face 
that  he  found  all  too  charming  for  his  peace. 

"  I  am  afraid  that  is  true,  but  it  seems  hard  that  you 
should  have  no  counsellor  in  the  difficulties  you  seem  to 
take  so  much  to  heart.  I  cannot  help  thinking  some- 
times that  we  are  all  acting  at  cross  purposes  in  this 
house.  If  I  dared,  I  would  end  the  complications  that  I 
cannot  understand,  by  speaking  out  what  my  wishes 
are,  and  take  the  consequences,  let  them  be  what  they 
may." 

Scarcely  knowing  what  she  was  saying,  Clare  ex- 
claimed : 

"  You  must  not  do  that,  Jasper !  You  must  not  ruin 
yourself,  and  make  my  aunt  more  angry  with  me,  by — 
by — doing  or  saying  anything  imprudent.  I  will  try  to 
restore  myself  to  favor,  and  I  think  I  shall  succeed,  if  I 
have  a  little  time  granted  to  me." 

"  Perhaps  so ;  but  Mrs.  Adair  never  forgives  any  one 
who  thwarts  her  will.  Unless  you  can  submit  to  that,  I 
fear  there  is  little  hope  of  mollifying  her  anger.  I  hoped 
that  you,  at  least,  would  escape  the  usual  fate  of  her  pro- 
teges, but  your  reign  has  been  even  more  brief  than  that 
of  others  she  has  taken  into  favor." 

"  Oh  !  don't  say  that  my  reign  is  ended,  Jasper.  I — 
I — somehow  feel  the  assurance  that  my  aunt  will  soon 
take  me  into  greater  favor  than  ever.  I  do  indeed.  If 
20 


322       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

I  did  not  cherish  that  belief,  I  would  write  to  papa  to 
come  and  take  me  away  at  once." 

He  changed  color,  and  with  some  emotion,  said : 

"  I  hope  that  Mr.  Desmond  will  never  be  summoned 
hither  on  such  an  errand  as  that.  I  hear  the  carriage 
approaching,  and  I  will  leave  you  before  my  aunt  can  see 
us  talking  together.  She  is  so  strange  and  suspicious  at 
times,  that  she  may  fancy  we  have  been  conspiring 
against  her.  It  is  most  unfortunate  that  she  has  fallen 
into  one  of  her  fractious  moods  while  my  father  is  away, 
for  he  is  the  only  person  who  can  manage  her  at  such 
times." 

"  Can  he  not  be  recalled  ?  Was  the  business  that  took 
him  away  so  very  important?" 

Jasper  shook  his  head  : 

"  I  know  nothing  of  the  nature  of  the  business,  but  I 
know  him  too  well  to  believe  that  he  will  return  until 
he  has  properly  attended  to  it.  I  must  go  now,  but 
remember  what  both  he  and  I  have  said  to  you  concern- 
ing Claudia  Coyle.  Allow  her  to  gain  no  hold  over  you 
in  any  way,  or  it  may  be  worse  for  you  than  you  think." 

"  How  can  she  do  that,  unless  I  do  something  wrong 
myself?"  asked  Clare,  a  little  annoyed  at  this  warning. 
"  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  Claudia  means  kindly  by 
me,  in  spite  of  your  distrust." 

Jasper  bowed  almost  disdainfully. 

"  Enough  has  been  said  to  you  to  put  you  on  your 
guard,  so  I  will  hold  my  peace  on  that  subject.  Good- 
evening,  Miss  Desmond." 

The  next  moment  he  was  gone,  and  Clare  stood  alone 
in  the  lighted  hall  when  her  aunt  came  in,  supported  on 
Claudia's  arm.  She  looked  sharply  around,  and  said  : 


A    CONSULTATION.  323 

"I  saw  two  persons  as  the  carriage  stopped.  Why 
have  you  so  suddenly  spirited  your  companion  away, 
Clare?" 

"He  took  himself  away,"  replied  Clare,  trying  to 
smile,  but  it  was  a  most  abortive  effort. 

"  If  it  was  Jasper,  I  think  he  might  have  come  out  to 
assist  me  from  the  carriage.  He  had  better  mind  what 
he  is  about,  or  my  disgust  at  him  may  take  a  turn  he 
will  not  like.  Such  stupidity,  such  wrong-headedness, 
no  mortal  woman  ever  had  to  encounter  before !  I  shall 
leave  both  you  and  him  to  your  own  devices,  and  then 
we'll  see  what  comes  of  them." 

As  Clare  was  unable  to  understand  this  speech,  she 
made  no  reply  to  it,  and  Mona  came  to  take  the  bonnet 
and  shawl  of  her  mistress,  thus  making  a  diversion  in 
her  favor. 

Tea  was  served,  and  the  old  lady  took  her  place  at  one 
side  of  the  table,  leaving  Claudia  to  preside  at  the  urn. 
She  glanced  at  her  niece  several  times,  but  she  spoke  to 
her  no  more;  and  Clare,  with  a  choking  sensation  in  her 
throat,  compelled  herself  to  make  a  show  of  eating 
something. 

When  tea  was  over  the  old  lady  complained  of  feeling 
tired,  and  commanded  Claudia  to  accompany  her  to  her 
apartment.  Clare  arose  from  her  seat,  and  stood  flushing 
and  paling  alternately,  wondering  if  her  aunt  intended 
to  treat  her  so  rudely  as  to  ignore  the  common  courtesies 
of  life  by  refusing  to  bid  her  good-night. 

When  Mrs.  Adair  gained  the  door,  she  turned  sud- 
denly, and  peevishly  said : 

"Why  do  you  stand  there,  looking  so  woebegone? 
You  only  need  an  empty  urn  in  your  hands  to  personate 


324      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOETUNE. 

Niobe,  and  I  don't  like  solemn  faces.  You  were  brought 
here  to  brighten  my  life,  not  to  give  me  the  hypochondria 
every  time  I  look  at  you." 

Clare  summoned  courage  to  say : 

"  Dear  aunt,  how  can  I  look  otherwise  than  sad,  when 
I  have  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  offend  you  ?  " 

"  Fiddlesticks !  as  if  you  couldn't  bring  back  my  good- 
humor,  if  you  chose.  I  sha'n't  let  you  kiss  me  to-night, 
nor  any  other  night,  till  you  have  submitted  your  will  to 
mine.  Good-night,  child ;  though,  if  you  have  a  good 
one,  it  is  more  than  I  shall." 

Awaiting  no  reply  from  the  unhappy  object  of  her  dis- 
pleasure, Mrs.  Adair  abruptly  left  the  room,  and  Clare 
went  up  to  her  own  apartment  to  have  a  good  cry,  while 
her  whole  soul  arose  in  rebellion  against  the  injustice  with 
which  she  was  treated. 

Lyra  came  up  at  her  usual  hour,  and  uttered  many 
exclamations  of  sympathy  and  astonishment  at  the  con- 
dition in  which  she  found  her  young  lady,  though  she 
was  not  quite  unprepared  for  what  she  saw.  Mona  had 
already  reported  the  scene  of  the  morning,  and  the  ser- 
vants were  murmuring  among  themselves  that  nobody 
could  please  the  mistress,  if  this  dainty  young  creature, 
with  her  winning  ways  and  fresh  loveliness,  failed  to 
do  so. 

The  girl  had  become  much  attached  to  her  new  mis- 
tress, and  she  volubly  said  : 

"I  'clar'  I  wouldn't  mind  misti.ss's  tantrums,  Mi«> 
Clare.  They  don't  'mount  to  much  arter  all,  caze  you 
know  you's  of  the  old  Beaufort  blood,  and  you's  got  a 
right  here.  That's  what  all  the  people  says  ;  an'  cut  up 
as  she  will,  you'll  be  the  lucky  one,  arter  all's  said  and 
done." 


A     CONSULTATION.  325 

"I  do  not  wish  to  discuss  this  subject  with  you,  Lyra. 
My  head  aches,  and  I  wish  you  would  be  quiet  while  you 
brush  and  arrange  my  hair.  I  do  not  feel  as  if  I  can 
bear  the  sound  of  a  human  voice  to-night." 

Lyra  made  an  effort  to  be  obedient,  but  after  a  few 
moments  silence,  she  maundered  on  to  herself  in  a  way 
she  had  when  her  young  lady  would  not  listen  to  her 
chatter. 

"  It's  a  shame,  that's  what  it  is,  for  her  to  be  a  takin'  of 
that  Claudy  out  in  the  carriage  with  her,  an'  leaving  her 
own  flesh  an'  blood  behind.  I  only  wish  I  dared  to  talk 
out,  an'  give  her  a  piece  o'  my  mind." 

Clare  caught  the  sense  of  her  words,  and  she  could  not 
help  laughing  aloud  at  the  idea  of  one  of  Mrs.  Adair's 
slaves  attempting  such  a  thing  as  that. 

"  The  laws  !  Missy,  don't  you  be  goin'  to  git  steriky 
now.  That's  the  way  that  Claudy  goes  on  when  she  gits 
riled.  But  things  has  gone  to  suit  her  lately,  and  she 
ain't  had  a  spell  for  a  long  time  for  her." 

"You  must  not  speak  of  Miss  Coyle  in  that  way, 
Lyra.  I  believe  she  is  a  friend  of  mine,  and  you  must 
be  more  respectful." 

"A  friend  o'  yourn  !  Oh,  lordy,  what  a  unsuspectin' 
angel  you  is,  Miss  Clare !  Don't  you  know  she'd  go 
down  in  the  dirt,  an'  eat  humble  pie  off'n  the  mistiss's 
very  feet,  ef  she  could  git  her  to  leave  her  fortin  to  her  ? 
It's  all  she's  arter,  as  you'll  find  out  some  o'  these  days." 

"You  are  quite  mistaken  about  that,  Lyra.  It  was 
Miss  Coyle  who  induced  my  aunt  to  send  for  me,  and 
that  does  not  look  as  if  she  is  mercenary.  I  forbid  you 
to  speak  of  her  at  all  to  me,  if  you  cannot  be  more 
discreet  in  your  remarks." 


326       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN     A     FOETUNE. 

"  Oh,  well,  Miss  Clare,  in  course  I  mus'  bay  you ;  but 
I  mus'  say  that  mebbe  when  it's  too  late,  you'll  wish  you 
had  listened  to  me." 

"  I  have  been  taught  that  domestic  treachery  is  a  most 
base  and  unpardonable  thing,  and  I  will  never  be  guilty 
of  it  myself.  If  Claudia  Coyle  is  what  you  say,  God 
will  send  one  of  His  good  angels  to  watch  over  and  pro- 
tect me  from  her  machinations.  You  may  go  now,  and 
hereafter  I  wish  you  to  understand  that  you  are  not  to 
insinuate  to  me  anything  against  those  who  dwell  under 
the  same  roof  with  me."  » 

Much  crestfallen,  Lyra  withdrew,  and  consoled  herself 
by  saying  to  Mona,  when  they  were  talking  over  the 
family  affairs  : 

"  Miss  Clare's  too  hifalutin  in  her  notions  'bout  folks. 
She  thinks  other  people's  as  good  as  she  is,  poor  thing." 

"  I  dunno  why  you  call  her  poor  thing,  gal.  She'll  be 
rich  as  cream  yit,  an'  no  thanks  to  Miss  Claudy  nyther. 
Ef  you  thinks  my  mistis  is  gwine  to  give  her  fortin 
to  a  strange  woman,  and  leave  her  own  kin  poor,  you 
dunno  much  o'  the  pride  o'  the  Beauforts.  She  ain't 
made  her  will  yit ;  but  when  'tis  made,  you'll  see  what's 
what." 

"  I  hope  I  shill,  but  I  don't  b'lieve  it." 

That  night  Claudia  met  Spiers  in  the  grounds,  and 
triumphantly  announced  to  him  that  the  first  step  toward 
the  consummation  they  so  ardently  desired  had  certainly 
been  taken. 

"And  we  are  on  the  high  road  to  fortune,"  was  the 
gleeful  response.  ""What  a  treasure  you  are,  Claudia. 
You  planned  this  affair ;  you  skilfully  manipulate  those 
around  you,  and  induce  them  to  do  exactly  as  you  wish. 


A    CONSULTATION.  327 

By  what  power  do  you  accomplish  so  much,  my  beautiful 
queen  ?  " 

"Much  of  it  is  done  through  the  magnetism  of  a 
strong  will.  I  believe  that  some  natures  can  dominate 
others,  and  from  my  youth  I  have  tried  my  powers  on 
those  I  wished  to  influence.  They  failed  me  in  but  one 
instance,  and  then  the  nature  I  had  to  deal  with  was  a 
hard  and  brutal  one." 

"Yes — I  understand  that  Gordon  was  beyond  the 
pale,  and  I  am  glad  of  it.  If  he  had  been  other  than  he 
was,  we  should  never  have  been  thrown  together, 
Claudia,  and  that  would  have  been  for  me  to  lose  the 
divinest  incarnation  of  wickedness  that  Satan  ever  con- 
ceived. We  are  soul-mates,  my  darling,  for  we  act  and 
react  on  each  other,  and  life  holds  nothing  that,  together, 
we  cannot  win." 

Claudia  smiled  strangely  at  this  equivocal  compliment, 
and  her  brow  clouded  as  she  said  : 

"  I  hope  the  potion  is  as  sure  and  deadly  in  its  eifects 
as  you  told  me,  and  that  no  antidote  can  be  found  to 
neutralize  its  power." 

"I  compounded  it  myself  from  a  deadly  drug  I 
purchased  from  an  old  Indian  doctor  in  South  America. 
He  taught  me  the  whole  mystery  of  his  craft,  and  if  I 
had  desired  it,  I  could  have  stultified  the  old  dame,  in 
place  of  killing  her  by  slow  degrees." 

"Are  you  sure  that  no  trace  of  it  will  be  found  ?  Mr. 
Clifford  is  a  good  physician,  though  he  has  only  used  his 
skill  on  the  plantation ;  and  Dr.  Brooke  is,  or  was,  a  fine 
surgeon.  If  they  are  puzzled  by  Mrs.  Adair's  symptoms, 
they  may  have  a  post-mortem  examination." 

"  No  trace  of  the  poison  will  be  found,  I  assure  you ; 


328       A     NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

and  if  there  were,  the  proof  that  it  was  administered 
secretly  by  Clare  Desmond  would  prevent  suspicion  from 
falling  on  us." 

"  She  would  tell  where  she  got  it,  and  the  woman  to 
whom  you  gave  it  would  be  forced  to  speak  the  truth. 
If  you  are  implicated,  and  my  relations  toward  you  are 
discovered,  I  am  lost,  as  well  as  yourself." 

"Are  you  showing  the  white  feather  in  the  moment  of 
triumph,  Claudia?"  asked  Spiers,  with  a  half  sneer. 
"  It  is  not  like  you  to  despond  in  the  prospect  of  brilliant 
success.  Trust  me  that  my  measures  have  been  so  se- 
curely taken  that  there  is  no  possibility  of  detection.  The 
old  witch  who  was  my  agent  in  this  affair  has  been 
bought  up  by  me,  and  she  has  already  left  her  hut  and 
gone,  nobody  knows  where.  I  went  home  in  disguise 
last  week,  and  learned  this  from  my  father.  Kiss  me, 
my  goddess,  as  an  atonement  for  doubting  my  foresight." 

Claudia  kissed  him,  not  once,  but  many  times,  and 
was  kissed  in  return,  but  she  presently  drew  herself  from 
his  ardent  clasp,  and  said  : 

"  Mrs.  Adair's  wealth  shall  go  to  Clare,  but  I  rage 
with  jealousy  when  I  think  that  she  must  become  your 
wife,  or  we  cannot  secure  it.  After  she  is  yours,  how 
long  must  I  wait  before  you  can  come  to  me  in  the  re- 
treat I  shall  find,  and  say  to  me  that  you  are  free?" 

"  Just  so  long  as  it  will  take  to  turn  the  property  into 
ready  money.  I  know  a  millionnaire  in  New  York  who 
is  anxious  to  invest  some  of  his  gold  in  real  estate  in  the 
South.  I  have  served  him  more  than  once  in  my  life,  and 
it  is  his  turn  to  serve  me  now.  I  know  of  some  slippery 
dealings  of  his,  and  he  will  only  be  too  glad  to  secure  some 
papers  I  have  that  would  embroil  him  with  the  govern- 


A    CONSULTATION.  329 

ment,  by  agreeing  to  purchase  Riverdale  at  my  own  val- 
uation. I  have  thought  of  everything,  Claudia,  and 
made  arrangement  to  get  rid  of  my  incumbrance  as 
speedily  as  possible  after  I  have  forced  her  to  marry  me." 

"  But  how  soon  will  that  be,  and  how  will  you  put 
her  away?" 

Spiers  laughed  aloud. 

"  That  is  a  neat  phrase,  by  George !  Put  her  away  ! 
Well,  I  sha'n't  tarry  long  about  it ;  you  may  take  your 
oath  on  that,  if  goddesses  ever  swear.  As  soon  as  I  have 
touched  the  price  for  which  I  sold  myself  to  that  little 
piece  of  nonentity,  she  will  be  attacked  in  the  night  by 
violent  spasms,  and  beforo  morning  she  will  be  out  of 
your  way  and  mine." 

"But  can  that  be  done  without  danger  to  yourself?" 

"  Certainly.  As  soon  as  I  get  my  funds  safely  trans- 
ferred to  Europe,  I  shall  embark  with  my  wife  in  a  sail- 
ing vessel  for  Liverpool  on  which  no  prying  doctor  is 
kept.  Sailors  are  not  suspicious ;  and  after  the  girl  has 
been  thrown  to  the  fishes,  there  can  be  no  resurrection 
of  her  body  to  find  evidence  that  she  was  foully  dealt 
with." 

Hard  as  Claudia  was,  she  shivered  at  this  picture. 
She  said : 

"  It  is  a  safe  plan  ;  only  Clare  may  refuse  to  go  with 
you  in  a  sailing  vessel.  It  will  seem  very  odd  to  her 
that  you  should  prefer  one  of  them  to  a  steamer." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  her  rebel  against  any  command 
J  choose  to  enforce,  after  she  is  once  my  wife/'  replied 
Spiers,  arrogantly.  "By  the  time  we  are  ready  to  leave, 
she  will  be  glad  enough  to  purchase  decent  treatment  by 
submitting,  without  a  murmur,  to  anything  I  may 
propose." 


330       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"  Then  you  won't  let  her  win  on  you  the  least  little 
bit,  John?  Those  clinging,  dependent  women  are  so 
apt  to  twine  their  wiles  around  a  man's  heart." 

"  Have  no  jealous  fears,  Claudia.  That  style  of  wo- 
man is  not  to  my  taste,  as  you  ought  to  know.  I  shall 
compare  her  with  you,  and  hate  her.  I  have  a  grudge 
against  her,  too,  for  the  cavalier  way  she  treated  me,  and 
it  will  go  hard  with  me  but  I'll  take  it  out  of  her  before 
I  am  done  with  her.  Through  her,  old  Desmond  shall 
get  his  pay  too,  for  his  insolence  to  me,  the  wretched  old 
beggar !  In  three  months,  at  farthest,  I  will  join  you 
at  any  point  in  Europe  you  may  fix  on,  and  we  will  be 
married  at  once." 

"  Oh,  John,  how  happy  we  will  be !  It  thrills  me 
with  ecstacy  to  anticipate  that  meeting.  All  dread,  all 
obstacles  to  our  union  removed,  all  we  shall  then  have 
to  do  will  be  to  enjoy  the  luxury  we  both  so  highly 
prize." 

"  Yes,  my  princess,  and  to  exult  in  the  cleverness  by 
which  it  was  won,"  said  Spiers,  complacently. 

Much  more  in  the  same  strain  passed  between  them 
before  they  separated,  and  it  was  nearly  midnight  when 
Claudia  came  back  to  the  house,  and  gained  admittance 
through  a  side  door  she  had  opened  after  the  rest  of  the 
household  were  asleep. 

A  shaded  lamp  was  burning  in  her  room,  and  she  sat 
down  beside  the  window  to  think  over  the  interview 
which  had  lately  passed.  For  the  first  time,  all  the 
horror  of  her  treachery  arose  before  her,  and  for  a  mo- 
ment she  faltered  in  its  consummation.  It  was  but  for 
a  moment ;  all  the  hard  elements  of  her  nature  arose  to 
combat  the  unwonted  feeling,  and  she  at  length  rose  up 
with  gleaming  eyes  and  white  face,  muttering : 


MB.   CLIFFORD'S   DISCOVERY.        331 

"  It  is  a  high  stake,  and  something  must  be  sacrificed 
to  win.  For  gold — for  gold,  and  what  it  can  buy,  every- 
thing is  possible  to  me  !  " 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

MR.  CLIFFORD'S  DISCOVERY. 

HE  next  two  weeks  of  Clare's  life  were  passed  in  a 
state  of  excitement  which,  at  times,  arose  almost 
to  delirium.  Mrs.  Adair's  treatment  of  her  fluctuated 
in  a  most  perplexing  manner.  At  times  she  was  almost 
as  kind  to  her  as  in  her  first  days  at  Eiverdale;  at 
others,  so  harsh  and  cold  that  the  poor  girl's  endurance 
was  tasked  to  its  uttermost  limit. 

In  her  simplicity,  she  attributed  the  kindness  to  the 
effects  of  the  love-charm,  which  she  had  found  means  to 
mingle  nightly  with  her  aunt's  lemonade  ;  and  the  harsh- 
ness, to  the  old  lady's  displeasure  at  any  appearance  of 
friendly  feeling  between  herself  and  Jasper. 

Walter  Brooke  would  have  been  satisfied  with  the 
dismissal  Clare  had  given  him,  and  have  held  himself 
aloof  from  Riverdale,  but  that  would  not  have  suited 
Claudia's  views,  and  she  wrote  him  a  friendly  note 
marked  private,  in  which  she  told  him  that  she  possessed 
Miss  Desmond's  confidence,  and  that  she  already  re- 
pented of  the  abrupt  rejection  she  had  given  him.  If 
Mr.  Brooke  would  renew  his  attentions,  and  try  his  fate 
a  second  time,  Claudia  assured  him  that  a  happier  result 
might  be  anticipated. 


332      A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN     A     FOETUNE. 

Walter  had  really  become  very  much  fascinated  by 
this  gay,  light-hearted  young  girl,  and  with  the  belief 
that  "  faint  heart  never  won  fair  lady/'  he  brushed  up 
his  rebellious  locks,  took  a  long  look  at  himself  in  the 
mirror,  and  resolved  to  try  again. 

He  came  every  other  day,  and  if  Clare  had  been 
shrewd  or  suspicious,  she  would  have  attributed  her 
aunt's  bad  treatment  to  those  visits ;  for  after  they  oc- 
curred, Mrs.  Adair  was  always  more  cold  and  bitter  in 
her  manner  than  before.  But  under  Claudia's  skilful 
manipulations  Mrs.  Adair  would  relax  in  a  few  hours, 
and  poor  Clare  would  fancy  that  the  change  was  due  to 
the  potent  powers  of  her  magic  elixir. 

Mrs.  Adair  did  not  seem  as  well  as  usual ;  she  com- 
plained to  Claudia  of  increased  action  of  the  heart,  and 
said  her  physicians  had  always  warned  her  that  there 
was  danger  in  excitement  of  any  kind.  She  lay  back  in 
her  large  chair  for  hours  listening  to  Claudia  play  on  the 
organ  which  stood  in  her  dressing-room. 

Clare  was  never  summoned  now  to  her  presence,  to 
read  to  her  or  to  prattle  with  her :  as  the  old  lady  had 
said,  she  and  Jasper  were  left  to  their  own  devices,  and 
on  those  days  that  were  free  from  the  intrusion  of  Walter 
Brooke,  they  passed  many  hours  together,  talking  freely 
on  any  subject  but  that  of  love.  Jasper  was  at  a  loss  to 
understand  Clare,  for  he  saw  clearly  from  her  treatment 
of  Brooke  that  there  was  no  chance  that  he  would  be 
accepted ;  yet  she  did  not  dismiss  him,  as  he  thought 
she  should  do,  and  he  mentally  accused  her  of  carrying 
on  a  heartless  flirtation  with  two  men,  both  of  whom  she 
must  be  aware  were  deeply  in  love  with  her. 

In  vain  had  he  tried  to  put  a  guard  on  himself,  and 


MR.    CLIFFORD'S   DISCOVERY.        333 

permit  no  evidence  of  his  passion  to  be  given.  Every 
glance  of  his  eyes,  every  inflection  of  his  voice,  when 
they  were  together,  gave  Clare  the  assurance  which  made 
her  inexpressibly  happy  in  his  presence,  yet  filled  her 
soul  with  doubts  and  fears  when  she  was  alone. 

"  To  accept  him  will  be  ruin  to  both  of  us,"  she 
thought ;  "  but  if  he  would  only  speak — would  only  tell 
me  that,  for  my  sake,  he  is  willing  to  risk  the  loss  of  all 
my  aunt  can  give,  I  would  not  hesitate  a  moment.  I 
think  she  is  less  hard  to  me  of  late,  and  the  love-charm 
may  do  its  work  after  all/' 

At  this  crisis  Mr.  Clifford  returned.  He  was  much 
surprised  and  chagrined  when  he  heard  from  his  son  that 
Clare  had  fallen  into  disfavor  with  her  aunt.  He  curtly 
said: 

"This  is  Claudia  Coyle's  doings.  She  has  availed 
herself  of  my  absence  to  work  in  the  dark ;  but  I  will 
baffle  her  yet.  A  more  dangerous,  scheming  woman  can- 
not be  found ;  yet  Mrs.  Adair  is  so  infatuated  with  her, 
that  words  of  accusation  will  be  useless,  as  long  as  they 
are  not  supported  by  convincing  proofs  of  her  unworthi- 
ness.  I  went  on  this  journey  to  Baltimore  chiefly  to  ob- 
tain them,  for  one  of  the  letters  she  brought  hither  was 
written  by  a  lady  of  that  city." 

"  Did  you  succeed  ?  "  asked  Jasper,  eagerly. 

An  expression  of  gloom  settled  over  Mr.  Clifford's 
face. 

"  I  did  not.  I  hoped  to  bring  back  with  me  some- 
thing that  would  suffice  to  show  Mrs.  Adair  that  her 
confidence  is  misplaced;  but  Mrs.  Lyon,  the  lady  I 
referred  to,  is  absent  on  a  northern  tour,  and  I  could  not 
even  obtain  her  address.  But  the  exposure  is  only  de- 


334       A     NEW     WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

ferred.  From  what  I  learned  of  Mrs.  Lyon  herself,  I 
think  she  is  a  person  who,  for  a  consideration,  would  not 
hesitate  to  give  a  character  to  any  plausible  woman  who 
had  pleased  her  fancy.  She  is  a  butterfly  of  fashion, 
with  little  fortune  to  sustain  her  pretensions — a  person, 
of  no  fixed  principles,  and  altogether  unreliable.  She 
has  been  in  Europe,  and  if  she  chooses,  I  believe  she  can 
throw  valuable  light  on  Miss  Coyle's  antecedents." 

"But  would  she  do  it?" 

"  That  is  to  be  tested,  for  I  shall  seek  her  again  when 
the  season  for  watering-places  is  over.  I  can  outbid 
Claudia,  and  from  what  I  could  gather  concerning  her 
friend,  money  can  accomplish  a  great  deal  toward  unseal- 
ing her  lips.  The  two  met  in  Paris,  and  being  congenial 
spirits,  they  soon  formed  an  intimacy,  and  travelled  to 
this  country  on  the  same  ship." 

Jasper  sighed,  and  said : 

"  I  wish  you  had  seen  this  woman.  Something  tells 
me  that  Clare  is  in  danger  from  Claudia's  machinations, 
yet  she  refuses  to  believe  in  her  utter  falseness." 

"  I  warned  her  before  she  came  hither,  and  my  words 
should  have  had  some  weight.  She  is  impulsive  and 
generous,  and  to  such  natures  it  is  painful  to  believe  in 
evil.  If  Mrs.  Adair  was  not  the  most  obstinate  and 
wrong-headed  of  women  all  this  could  be  set  right  at 
once.  I  think  the  time  has  passed  for  the  concealment 
of  her  true  wishes,  but  I  dare  not  speak  till  I  have  her 
permission.  I  will  seek  her  now,  and  try  to  convince 
her  that^" 

He  broke  off  abruptly,  and  after  a  pause,  went  on  in  a 
more  cheerful  tone : 

"  I  know  whither  your  wishes  tend,  Jasper,  and  there 


ME.   CLIFFOED'S   DISCOVEEY.        335 

is  reason  to  hope  that  before  long  the  skies  will  brighten 
above  you,  and  the  old  lady  get  over  her  pique  toward 
you  because  you  would  not  marry  Claudia.  Hope  for 
the  best,  my  boy,  for  I  shall  work  bravely  for  you." 

With  these  words  he  left  the  room,  and  despatched  a 
message  to  Mrs.  Adair  stating  his  wish  to  see  her  at  once, 
if  she  was  well  enough  to  receive  him. 

Claudia  was  reading  aloud,  and  she  changed  color 
slightly  when  she  heard  of  Mr.  Clifford's  arrival.  His 
influence  in  a  measure  neutralized  her  own,  and  she 
glanced  uneasily  at  Mrs.  Adair,  as  that  lady  exclaimed, 
almost  joyfully : 

"  Dick  back  again  !  That  is  good  news,  indeed,  for  I 
have  missed  him  every  day  since  he  left.  Go  to  him, 
Claudia,  and  tell  him  to  come  to  me  at  once.  You  need 
not  return,  as  I  wish  to  speak  with  him  alone." 

Claudia  reluctantly  laid  down  her  book,  saying : 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  suffer  yourself  to  become  excited 
in  any  way,  dear  madam.  You  are  not  so  strong  of 
late,  and  you  should  keep  yourself  as  quiet  as  possible." 

"  Dear  me,  do  you  suppose  that  I  am  going  to  put 
myself  in  a  quiver  because  Dick  Clifford  is  coming  to 
tell  me  how  he  invested  a  sum  of  money  I  have  set  apart 
for  the  Desmonds  ?  Even  if  Clare  is  ungrateful,  I  am 
not  going  to  let  my  own  kindred  grovel  in  poverty.  I 
wanted  him  to  do  the  business  in  Norfolk,  but  he  per- 
sisted in  going  to  Baltimore  to  buy  some  kind  of  stocks 
that  pay  better  interest,  he  said." 

"  I  wonder  if  that  was  all  that  took  him  to  Balti- 
more ?  "  thought  Claudia,  a  vague  feeling  of  alarm  rising 
in  her  mind  when  she  remembered  that  in  that  city  re- 
sided the  friend  who  had  obtained  for  her  the  letters  of 


336        A    NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

recommendation  which  enabled  her  to  secure  the  place  of 
companion  to  Mrs.  Adair. 

She  walked  slowly  through  the  long  corridor  which 
communicated  with  the  main  hall,  and  by  the  time  she 
reached  it  she  was  calm  and  smiling  as  usual. 

Mr.  Clifford  was  pacing  i-mpatiently  to  and  fro,  await- 
ing the  return  of  his  messenger,  but  he  paused  abruptly 
as  Claudia  said,  in  her  sweetest  tones  : 

"  I  am  glad  to  welcome  you  back,  Mr.  Clifford ;  we 
have  missed  you  sadly,  and  I  fear  that  my  dear  old 
friend's  health  has  suffered  from  your  absence." 

Mr.  Clifford  bowed,  and  merely  touched  the  hand  she 
extended  to  him. 

"  I  am  surprised  to  hear  that,  for  Mrs.  Adair  was  un- 
usually well  when  I  went  away.  I  thought  the  presence 
of  her  niece  had  given  her  a  new  lease  of  life." 

Claudia  sighed. 

u  I  am  sorry  to  tell  you  that  Miss  Desmond  has  shared 
the  usual  fate  of  her  favorites.  She  has  become  as  much 
imbittered  against  her  as  she  is  against  Jasper,  because 
they  will  not  rush  into  each  other's  arms  without  being 
told  that  it  is  her  wish  for  them  to  do  so.  Unreasonable 
—isn't  she?" 

He  glanced  keenly  at  her,  and  coldly  said : 

"  I  can  set  all  that  right,  if  she  will  allow  me  to  speak 
with  her.  I  hope  you  bring  me  the  permission  to  go  to 
her  room,  Miss  Coyle  ?  " 

"Yes — I  came  for  that  purpose;  but  you  must  be 
careful  not  to  agitate  her.  She  seems  strangely  affected 
of  late,  and  if  I  did  not  know  her  aversion  to  medicine, 
I  should  think  she  has  been  tampering  with  her  health 
in  some  way." 


MR.   CLIFFORD'S   DISCOVERY.          337 

There  was  a  sudden  gleam  of  suspicion  in  Mr.  Clif- 
ford's eyes,  and  he  became  perceptibly  paler,  as  he 
abruptly  asked : 

"  Has  Mrs.  Adair  made  her  will  in  my  absence  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed — she  is  not  so  bad  as  that,  Mr.  Clifford. 
She  is  superstitious,  and  will  never  make  her  will  till  she 
is  in  extremity." 

His  face  cleared,  and  hastily  saying : 

"  Excuse  me ;  I  must  not  keep  the  old  lady  waiting 
on  me,"  he  passed  her,  and  went  on  to  Mrs.  Adair's  door. 

Mona  opened  it  at  his  knock,  and  with  a  bow  and  a 
welcoming  smile,  passed  out  herself. 

When  Mrs.  Adair  spoke,  his  quick  ear  detected  a 
change  in  her  voice,  and  he  looked  anxiously  in  her 
face,  as  he  said  : 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  worse  than  you  were  when  I  left 
you,  dear  madam.  I  have  been  detained  longer  than  I 
expected,  but  I  have  accomplished  the  business  you  sent 
me  on  in  a  satisfactory  manner." 

"  I  don't  know  about  being  worse,  Dick,  but  I  feel 
listless  and  weary,  and  my  heart  troubles  me  more  than 
ever.  I  have  been  worried  lately,  and  that  may  be  the 
cause  of  its  increased  action.  I  would  not  send  for  Dr. 
Brooke,  though  Claudia  urged  me  to  do  so." 

Mr.  Clifford  held  her  hand  in  his  own,  and  counted 
the  quickened  pulse.  He  then  bent  down  his  ear  and 
listened  to  the  rapid  beating  of  her  heart,  and  his  face 
grew  very  grave. 

"  You  have  been  worrying  yourself  about  something 
since  I  have  been  away,  and  your  health  has  suffered. 
Will  you  tell  me  the  cause  of  your  uneasiness  ?     Perhaps 
I  shall  be  able  to  calm  it." 
21 


338       A     NEW    WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

In  an  irritated  tone,  she  replied  : 

"  You  can  never  do  that,  unless  you  can  control  the 
vagrant  fancies  of  a  silly  young  girl.  Claudia  assures 
me  that  Jasper  has  fallen  as  much  in  love  with  Clare  as 
I  can  wish  ;  but  here  she  is  carrying  on  a  flirtation  with 
Walter  Brooke,  thinking,  I  suppose,  that  she  will  secure 
a  good  nest  for  herself,  if  I  should  cut  her  off  in  my  will. 
I  am  so  much  offended  with  her  that  I  can  scarcely 
tolerate  her  presence  near  me,  and  I  only  keep  her  here 
in  the  hope  that  she  will  come  to  her  right  senses,  and 
give  Jasper  the  encouragement  he  only  needs  to  induce 
him  to  speak." 

Mr.  Clifford  sat  down  in  front  of  her,  and  quietly 
said: 

"I  think  you  are  unnecessarily  annoying  yourself, 
aunt.  I  am  quite  sure  that  Clare  likes  my  son  better 
than  Walter  Brooke,  and  if  she  dared  she  would  openly 
show  her  preference.  You  have  ordained  that  they  are 
both  to  be  kept  in  the  dark  as  to  your  wishes ;  but  the 
time  has  come  to  enlighten  them,  and  I  fear  that  you 
will  defeat  yourself  if  you  withhold  the  truth  from  them 
any  longer." 

Mrs.  Adair  obstinately  said : 

"  Clare  shall  not  be  bribed  to  fall  into  my  views.  If 
she  is  so  mercenary  as  you  hint,  she  may  go  back  to  her 
parents,  or  take  Walter  for  all  I  care.  If  she  does  not 
care  more  for  my  money  than  for  true  love,  she  would 
not  play  this  double  game.  It  is  disgusting  to  think  of 
so  young  a  girl  angling  between  two  chances,  ready  to 
take  the  best  at  a  moment's  warning.  If  she  understood 
my  wishes,  she  would  turn  to  Jasper  at  once  ;  but  if  she 
takes  him  at  all,  she  shall  do  it  blindfold.  I'll  not  have 


MB.   CLIFFORD'S   DISCOVERY.        339 

him  put  in  the  scales  with  such  a  man  as  Walter,  and 
weighed  down  by  my  gold.  It  would  not  be  fair  to 
him." 

"  I  think,  madam,  that  you  are  mistaken  in  your 
estimate  of  this  young  girl.  Some  influence  must  have 
been  at  work  against  her,  or  you  could  not  have  become 
so  much  imbittered.  I  am  quite  willing  to  accept  her  as 
my  daughter,  for  I  have  seen  nothing  in  her  to  warrant 
the  harsh  judgment  you  have  pronounced  against  her." 

"  You  are  striking  at  Claudia  now,"  said  Mrs.  Adair, 
harshly,  "  and  you  always  do  it  when  you  get  a  chance. 
She  is  a  good  friend  to  Jasper,  and  seeing  how  much  in 
love  he  is  with  this  pretty  coquette,  she  is  using  all  her 
influence  with  Clare  to  detach  her  from  Walter,  and 
induce  her  to  encourage  your  son.  Now,  what  do  you 
say,  sir?" 

"  Only  this :  that  Miss  Coyle  has  some  end  of  her  own 
to  serve,  in  playing  the  part  of  go-between  where  her 
services  are  not  asked  for  nor  appreciated.  I  mistrust 
her ;  I  believe  her  to  be  false  to  the  core  of  her  heart, 
and  her  object  in  bringing  Clare  Desmond  hither  was  to 
alienate  you  from  her,  and  through  her  from  all  your 
own  family.  I  acceded  to  your  wish  to  let  these  young 
people  drift  into  love  for  each  other  without  using  any 
undue  influence;  but  the  thing  has  gone  far  enough,  and 
I  entreat  you  to  permit  me  to  enlighten  Jasper  at  least. 
Clare  can  then  choose  her  own  destiny,  and  I  do  not  for 
a  moment  doubt  what  that  choice  will  be." 

Mrs.  Adair  flushed  angrily  at  his  accusations  against 
Claudia,  but  she  grew  calmer  as  he  went  on,  and  after  a 
moment's  reflection,  said : 

"  I  agree  to  the  last,  provided  Clare  is  kept  in  pro- 


340        A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

found  ignorance  of  how  much  is  involved  in  the  choice 
she  may  make.  If  she  proves  her  disinterestedness  by 
accepting  Jasper,  I  will  not  only  receive  her  into  favor 
again,  but  make  my  will  at  once,  bequeathing  to  her  my 
whole  fortune." 

"  I  accept  the  conditions,  and  I  have  no  doubt  as  to 
the  result,"  was  the  grave  reply  ;  and  then  Mr.  Clifford 
turned  the  conversation,  gave  a  lively  account  of  what  he 
had  seen  in  his  absence,  and  described  a  brief  visit  he 
had  made  to  Mr.  Desmond's  house. 

Mrs.  Adair  listened  with  vivid  interest,  and  asked 
many  questions  concerning  her  unknown  relatives.  She 
at  length  said  : 

"  You  told  them  nothing  of  the  handsome  addition  I 
have  made  to  their  income,  I  hope.  I  design  that  as  a 
pleasant  surprise  for  Clare,  when  she  shows  a  willingness 
to  comply  with  my  wishes." 

"I  obeyed  your  instructions  literally,  madam.  I  have 
the  bonds  with  me,  made  out  in  Mrs.  Desmond's  name, 
and  you  can  choose  your  own  time  for  transferring  them 
to  her." 

"  That  is  well,"  said  the  old  lady,  graciously,  and  the 
interview  was  ended  by  the  entrance  of  Mona  to  say  that 
the  carriage  was  at  the  door,  and  Miss  Coyle  wished  to 
know  if  Mrs.  Adair  intended  to  take  her  evening  drive. 

"Of  course  I  shall ;  it  is  the  only  thing  that  keeps  rne 
alive.  You  may  go  now,  Dick,  and  I  know  that  I  can 
trust  you  to  conduct  this  affair  as  I  desire." 

Mr.  Clifford  bowed,  and  went  out,  intending  to  seek 
his  son  and  tell  him  all  that  had  passed  between  his  aunt 
and  himself  with  reference  to  his  marriage;  but  Clare 
met  him  in  the  hall,  and  had  innumerable  questions  to 
ask  him  concerning  her  home,  and  its  beloved  inmates. 


MR.  CLIFFORD'S   DISCOVERY.        341 

While  he  talked  with  her,  the  two  elder  ladies  set  out 
on  their  evening  drive,  and  Mr.  Clifford  significantly 
said  to  her : 

"  You  give  Claudia  every  chance  to  monopolize  the 
ear  of  the  old  lady.  Why  have  you  ceased  to  ride  out 
with  them,  my  dear?" 

"  Only  because  I  am  not  invited.  I  told  you  I  should 
get  into  trouble  as  soon  as  you  were  gone,  Mr.  Clifford, 
and  that  very  day  my  aunt  flared  up  at  me,  and  said  so 
many  insulting  things,  that  if  it  had  not  been  for  Clau- 
dia, I  believe  I  would  have  written  to  papa  to  come  and 
take  me  away." 

"  Oh !  ah !  the  divine  Claudia  then  played  the  part 
of  friend  to  you  ?  I  wish  I  could  fathom  her  motives, 
for  deep  and  subtle  ones  she  had,  I  doubt  not.  I  can  see 
a  little  way  through  them,  though ;  as  soon  as  I  was  out 
of  the  way,  she  produced  a  breach  between  you  and  your 
aunt,  that  she  might  pretend  to  heal  it  in  time,  and  thus 
win  your  gratitude  and  confidence." 

Clare  flushed,  and  deprecatingly  said  : 

"  Don't  say  anything  more  against  Claudia,  please. 
She  has  been  very  good  to  me,  and — and — I  cannot  help 
thinking  that  you  do  not  understand  her." 

"  I  only  wish  I  did,"  said  Mr.  Clifford,  with  perfect 
sincerity.  "After  all,  it  does  not  matter.  You  must 
take  counsel  of  me  now,  remember,  and  not  of  the  fair 
Claudia." 

"  I  can  safely  promise  to  do  that. 

And  Mr.  Clifford  went  in  quest  of  his  son. 

He  did  not  find  him  in  their  rooms,  and  a  servant  he 
encountered  told  him  that  Jasper  had  gone  out  on  the 
river,  as  was  his  frequent  custom  in  the  cool  twilight  of 


342       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

evening.  He  walked  toward  the  landing,  and  lounged 
about,  awaiting  Jasper's  return.  But  as  he  failed  to 
come,  and  he  saw  nothing  of  his  boat,  Mr.  Clifford  went 
slowly  back  to  the  house,  thinking  of  Clare  and  her 
troubles,  and  smiling  as  he  pictured  to  himself  her  inno- 
cent joy  when  she  found  herself  restored  to  her  aunt's 
favor,  and  the  betrothed  bride  of  the  man  he  felt  sure 
she  loved. 

He  came  up  on  the  side  of  the  house  on  which  Mrs. 
Adair's  rooms  opened,  and  he  was  much  surprised  to  see 
a  figure  in  white,  which  he  at  once  recognized  as  Miss 
Desmond,  standing  on  the  balcony  in  front  of  the  win- 
dow, her  form  clearly  outlined  by  the  shaded  light  which 
burned  within  the  room. 

Before  entering,  she  turned  and  cast  a  searching  gaze 
around,  as  if  anxious  to  be  certain  that  no  one  was  ob- 
serving her,  and  Mr.  Clifford  stood  perfectly  still  in  the 
shadow  of*  the  thick  shrubbery,  wondering  what  took  her 
to  Mrs.  Adair's  apartment,  and  why  she  so  stealthily 
entered  it. 

Determined  to  penetrate  the  mystery,  he  moved  cau- 
tiously forward,  and  stood  in  front  of  the  balcony, 
his  head  reaching  just  above  the  floor.  The  low 
window  enabled  him  to  see  what  passed  in  the  room ; 
and  unfortunately  for  Clare,  the  table  on  which  the 
lemonade  was  placed  was  just  within  the  range  of  his 
vision. 

He  saw  her  drop  the  elixir  in  the  open  mouth  of  the 
carafe  and  cover  it  up  again  with  swift  fingers,  and  then 
she  flitted  toward  the  window,  muttering  to  herself  in- 
audible %ords. 

Mr.  Clifford  had  barely  time  to  conceal  himself  before 


THE     CHEMISTS    AT    WORK.  343 

she  flitted  past  him,  and  almost  ran  toward  the  front  of 
the  house. 

"  My  God !  can  a  creature  apparently  so  innocent  be 
worse  even  than  Claudia ! "  he  muttered,  faint  with  the 
shock  he  had  received. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

THE  CHEMISTS  AT  WORK. 

MR.  CLIFFORD  stood  a  few  moments  like  one 
paralyzed,  and  almost  doubting  the  evidence  of 
his  own  senses. 

Mrs.  Adair's  health  had  evidently  grown  worse  of 
late,  and  he  recalled  Claudia's  suggestion  that  she  had 
been  tampering  with  herself.  The  suspicion  that  darted 
into  his  mind  when  she  spoke  thus,  he  felt  was  unjust  to 
her,  for  the  will  had  not  been  made,  and  in  case  the  old 
lady  died  intestate,  Mrs.  Desmond,  as  heir-at-law,  would 
become  the  legal  possessor  of  the  greater  part  of  her 
large  estate. 

Could  that  consideration  have  led  her  daughter  to 
perpetrate  such  iniquity  as  this?  he  asked  himself. 
Could  she,  with  such  fair  prospects  before  her,  have 
ruined  all  by  attempting  to  poison  her  aunt  ?  He  re- 
coiled in  horror  from  the  thought;  but  in  what  other 
way  could  he  interpret  what  he  had  himself  seen  that 
night? 

When  he  recovered  from  the  stupor  into  which  ^Jie  had 
been  thrown,  he  ascended  the  steps,  entered  the  room, 


344      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

and  looking  around,  took  from  a  carved  bracket  fastened 
against  the  wall  a  small  Chinese  cup  covered  with 
grotesque  paintings. 

"  This  will  scarcely  be  missed  before  I  can  get  an 
opportunity  to  replace  it,"  he  muttered,  as  he  uncovered 
the  carafe,  and  poured  a  portion  of  its  contents  into  the 
cup.  "Now  we  will  see  what  devil's  work  has  been 
done  here.  Oh,  my  poor  boy,  what  a  blow  for  you  this 
will  be!" 

He  left  the  room  as  he  entered  it,  and  going  around 
the  house  gained  his  own  apartments  without  approach- 
ing the  front. 

Jasper  had  just  returned,  and  he  regarded  with  some 
surprise  his  father's  pale  face,  which  looked  more  troubled 
than  he  had  ever  before  seen  it. 

"  What  has  happened  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Has  my  aunt 
quarrelled  with  you  too,  as  she  seems  inclined  to  do  with 
every  one  about  her  except  Claudia  Coyle  ?  " 

"  No ;  we  are  very  good  friends.  The  old  lady  was 
very  affable,  and  quite  satisfied  with  the  result  of  my 
journey.  When  I  left  her  I  thought  I  had  some  good 
news  for  you,  but  something  has  happened  since  which 
has  quite  upset  me,  and  I  do  not  think  I  shall  repeat  to 
you  now  what  she  authorized  me  to  say." 

"  You  are  very  mysterious,  father.  And  what  is  that 
you  are  carrying  in  your  hand  so  carefully  covered  up? 
The  old  begum's  Chinese  cup,  I  declare !  Did  she  give 
it  to  you?  If  she  did,  she  must  be  going  to  the  'land 
of  the  leal/  for  she  values  that  bit  of  porcelain  as  highly 
as  if  it  were  set  in  diamonds  of  the  purest  water." 

"  She  did  not  give  it  to  me.  I  only  borrowed  it  a  little 
while,  and  I  hope  there  will  be  time  to  replace  it  before 


THE     CHEMISTS    AT     WORK.  345 

she  gets  back.  I  have  something  in  it  which  I  wish  you 
to  analyze  carefully.  Find  me  a  jar  to  pour  this  lemon- 
ade in,  Jasper,  and  be  quick." 

Jasper  became  very  pale,  and  his  hand  trembled  as  he 
held  out  a  glass  vessel,  into  which  his  father  poured  the 
liquid,  saying: 

"  Make  a  very  careful  analysis  of  this,  Jasper.  Thank 
God  that  you  understand  chemistry,  and  no  stranger's 
aid  need  be  asked  to  enable  us  to  arrive  at  the  truth." 

"But — but  what  does  this  mean,  father?  My  aunt's 
night  draught  is  lemonade  at  this  season  of  the  year,  and 
your  face  frightens  me.  Has  any  one  been  trying  to 
tamper  with  her  life?" 

"  I  cannot  tell  till  I  know  what  has  been  mixed  with 
that  liquid.  Tell  me  that,  and  I  will  then  enlighten  you 
further.  I  must  go  now  and  replace  this  cup.  Go  to 
work  at  once,  Jasper,  and  let  me  know  the  worst." 

Mr.  Clifford  carefully  wiped  out  the  cup,  and  hastened 
from  the  room,  leaving  his  son  bewildered  and  much 
alarmed.  He  hastened  to  Mrs.  Adair's  apartment,  and 
had  barely  time  k>  replace  it  and  effect  his  escape  before 
the  old  lady  returned,  and,  complaining  of  fatigue,  went 
directly  to  her  room. 

Mr.  Clifford  returned  to  his  son,  and  aided  him  to 
make  the  analysis  in  which  they  were  so  deeply  interested, 
and  the  result  was  carefully  noted  down. 

When  it  was  finished,  Jasper  said : 

"  I  have  done  your  bidding,  sir,  and  now  I  hope  you 
will  explain  to  me  how  you  came  to  suspect  that  any  in- 
jury was  designed  to  my  aunt,  and  also  who  is  the  person 
implicated." 

Mr.  Clifford  gravely  replied : 


346        A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"I  have  reflected  on  what  is  best  to  be  done  in  this 
strange  tangle  of  affairs,  Jasper,  and  I  think  I  shall  keep 
my  own  counsel  for  the  present.  You  must  wait  my 
own  time  to  speak,  and  be  satisfied  that  I  am  acting  for 
the  best," 

"  I  know  that  your  judgment  is  always  sound,  father, 
and,  as  usual,  I  yield  to  it.  If  there  is  a  criminal,  I 
know  it  is  Claudia  Coyle ;  though  what  she  is  to  gain 
by  my  aunt's  death,  unless  her  will  is  made  in  her  favor, 
I  cannot  see." 

"  I  believe  that  Claudia  is  at  the  bottom  of  this  ;  but 
to  ensnare  her  in  her  own  trap,  I  must  be  wary  and 
silent.  Do  not  change  your  manner  to  her,  Jasper ;  give 
her  no  cause  to  believe  that  you  suspect  her  of  any  new 
wickedness.  I  must  unravel  this  mystery,  and  if  possi- 
ble, save  that  unfortunate  girl  who  has  evidently  been 
brought  here  only  to  be  made  use  of  in  a  most  shameful 
and  terrible  manner  by  Miss  Coyle." 

Jasper  reeled,  and  sunk  on  a  seat,  as  he  gasped  : 

"Clare — Clare!  has  she  anything  to  do  with  this? 
No!  no!  it  is  impossible !  She  could -never  have  allied 
herself  with  that  infamous  woman,  though  she  refuses  to 
believe  her  as  bad  as  we  know  her  to  be." 

Mr.  Clifford  had  intended  to  tell  his  son  what  he  had 
seen  himself,  but  the  anguish  in  Jasper's  face  at  the  mere 
thought  of  Clare's  complicity  in  any  of  Claudia's  designs, 
induced  him  to  change  his  mind.  It  would  be  time 
enough,  when  her  guilt  was  proved,  to  stab  him  to  the 
heart  with  the  knowledge  of  the  events  of  that  evening. 
lie  sadly  asked : 

"Do  you  then  love  this  poor  girl  so  dearly,  Jasper?" 

"  Love  her  !     You  know  I  do.     It  is  madness  to  do 


THE    CHEMISTS     AT     WORK.  347 

so,  I  know ;  though  I  have  at  times  hoped  that  I  should 
not  blight  her  prospects  by  asking  her  to  cast  her  lot 
with  mine.  Some  things  that  have  fallen  from  you  have 
induced  me  to  believe  that  my  aunt  is  not  so  much 
opposed  to  our  union  as  she  has  pretended  to  be ;  but  I 
feared  to  act  on  them  lest  I  should  ruin  Clare,  and  thus 
entail  poverty  on  her  family.  But  for  them,  I  should 
not  have  hesitated,  for  I  can  win  my  own  way  when  I 
am  permitted  to  enter  the  world,  and  make  a  home  for 
myself  and  the  wife  of  my  heart." 

Mr.  Clifford  paced  the  floor  in  silence  for  many 
moments,  apparently  absorbed  in  troubled  thought. 
Then,  as  if  speaking  to  himself  more  than  to  Jasper,  he 
said  : 

"All  this  complication  has  arisen  from  a  crotchet  in 
one  old  woman's  brain.  If  she  had  permitted  me  to  tell 
you  before  I  went  away,  that  a  union  between  you  and 
Clare  is  the  dearest  wish  of  her  heart,  all  might  have 
been  well.  As  it  is,  God  alone  can  foresee  the  end." 

A  deep  flush  arose  to  Jasper's  'face,  and  in  great  ex- 
citement, he  exclaimed : 

"  I  am  free  then  to  ask  Clare  the  question  that  has 
trembled  on  my  lips  for  days  past.  But  why  this  cruel 
deception  has  been  carried  on  so  long,  or  indeed  at  all,  I 
cannot  understand." 

"  I  will  explain  that.  Mrs.  Adair  thought  she  had 
been  too  precipitate  in  pressing  on  you  a  marriage  with 
Claudia ;  she  believed  that  was  why  you  recoiled  from  so 
beautiful  a  woman  as  she  undoubtedly  is.  She  did  not 
wish  to  make  the  same  blunder  again,  and  woman-like, 
she  went  to  the  opposite  extreme.  She  has  overdone  her 
part,  and  made  both  you  and  Clare  afraid  to  betray  the 


348       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

preference  you  have  for  each  other,  lest  her  favor  should 
be  forfeited." 

"  She  has  treated  us  both  shamefully,"  said  the  lover, 
with  much  heat.  "But  I  will  set  matters  right  at  once. 
I  will  no  longer  be  silent;  I  will  tell  Clare  that  I  love 
her  beyond  my  life,  and  let  her  accept  or  reject  me  as  she 
chooses." 

Plis  father  gravely  said : 

"'Under  present  circumstances,  I  cannot  permit  that, 
Jasper.  Wait — wait  till  this  cloud  has  passed  away.  I 
have  myself  witnessed  that  which  gives  me  unpleasant 
suspicions  regarding  Clare,  .and  until  they  are  cleared  up 
you  must  do  or  say  nothing  to  commit  yourself  in  any 
waj'.  This  is  my  ultimatum,  my  son,  and  I  think  you 
will  abide  by  it." 

There  was  indignation,  terror  and  rebellion  in  Jasper's 
eyes  as  he  flashed  them  on  his  father,  and  angrily 
repeated : 

"Suspicions  !  What  could  be  suspicious  in  the  actions 
of  a  girl  who  is  still  half  a  child  in  her  simplicity  and 
truthfulness  of  character?  If  an  angel  could  appear 
before  me,  and  tell  me  that  Clare  Desmond  had  been 
guilty  of  a  mean  or  dishonorable  action,  I  could  scarcely 
believe  him.  Excuse  me,  father,  but  in  this  matter  I 
cannot  be  dictated  to.  My  happiness  and  hers  has 
already  been  too  shamefully  trifled  with,  and  I  must 
now  follow  only  the  dictates  of  my  own  heart." 

Overwhelmed  by  this  passionate  burst,  Mr.  Clifford 
silently  regarded  the  working  face  of  his  son  several 
moments  before  he  replied.  He  was  strongly  tempted  to 
tell  him  what  he  had  seen,  but  in  Jasper's  state  of  ex- 
citement, he  feared  the  eifect  of  such  a  blow  upon  him, 
and  he  only  said : 


THE     CHEMISTS     AT     WORK.  349 

"  If  you  defy  my  wishes,  of  course  you  must  act  as 
you  please ;  but  I  fear  that  when  you  know  as  much 
as  I  unfortunately  do,  you  will  regret  your  precipitate 
action." 

"  Speak  out  then,  and  tell  what  you  hint  at." 

"No;  that  might  be  unjust  to  Clare.  As  long  as 
there  is  a  doubt  in  my  own  mind,  I  will  not  betray  what 
I —  There,  Jasper,  I  will  speak  no  more  on  this  subject. 
I  leave  you  to  think  over  what  I  have  said,  and  when 
you  are  cooler  you  will  see  that  I  am  right.  A  delay  of 
a  few  days,  or  even  weeks,  cannot  signify,  if  the  end  is 
happy." 

"If  I  am  ever  to  win  happiness/'  said  Jasper  defi- 
antly, "I  must  trample  on  scruples,  and  snatch  the 
crown  of  love  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  fate  to  tear  it  from 
me.  Something  tells  me  that  I  shall  baffle  Claudia 
Coyle  by  doing  this ;  for  that  she  is  the  real  author  of  all 
these  complications,  I  have  no  doubt." 

"  Nor  have  I ;  but  we  do  not  know  her  secret  schemes, 
and  by  acting  as  you  propose,  you  may  only  be  playing 
into  her  hands.  Give  me  a  few  days,  and  I  think  I  can 
make  myself  master  of  the  situation,  and  deal  such 
retribution  to  Claudia  as  she  deserves." 

"  If  I  thought  that,  I  would  promise  not  to  speak  for 
three  days ;  but  I  will  not  avoid  Clare.  I  will  devote 
myself  to  her  openly  now.  That  may  mollify  my  aunt, 
and  induce  her  to  treat  my  poor  darling  with  less  cold- 
ness." 

"  It  will  certainly  have  that  effect,  and  I  will  watch 
Claudia,  and  see  what  effect  the  change  in  Mrs.  Adair 
will  have  on  her.  Seal  up  the  remainder  of  that  lemon- 
ade, Jasper,  that  it  may  be  submitted  to  other  chemists, 


350      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

should  the  necessity  arise.  I  shall  take  care  to  have 
another  draught  prepared  every  night  for  the  old  lady, 
and  substitute  it  for  the  one  Mona  places  beside  her 
bed." 

"  Mona  and  Claudia  must  be  in  league  with  each 
other.  It  is  dreadful  to  think  that  one's  own  servants 
can  be  corrupted  in  this  way." 

"  How  much  more  dreadful  would  he  think  it,  if  I 
told  him  all !  "  thought  Mr.  Clifford ;  but  he  only  said, 
"  It  is  growing  late,  and  you  look  quite  worn  out  with 
excitement.  Try  to  sleep,  my  son,  and  hope  for  the 
best." 

Neither  slept  much  that  night;  and  in  the  morning 
an  invitation  came  from  Brookover,  for  the  family  to 
dine  there.  On  this  occasion  Mrs.  Adair  decided  to 
go,  and  take  with  her  Claudia  and  Clare,  escorted  by 
Jasper. 

She  wished  to  observe  for  herself  what  encouragement 
her  niece  gave  to  Walter  Brooke,  and  to  draw  her  own 
conclusions  as  to  Jasper's  chances  of  success  with  one  she 
had  been  taught  to  believe  a  mercenary  and  heartless 
flirt. 

Influenced  by  Mr.  Clifford's  words  on  the  previous 
evening,  the  old  lady  was  kinder  in  her  manner  to  Clare, 
and  even  summoned  her  to  sit  beside  her  in  the  boat, 
when  they  crossed  the  river  to  Brookover.  Easily  elated, 
the  poor  girl's  spirits  rose,  and  she  made  herself  so  agree- 
able to  her  aunt  that  she  suddenly  said  : 

"  My  dear,  I  can't  conceive  how  I  have  done  without 
your  lively  chatter  all  these  days.  I  have  missed  you, 
child ;  how  much  I  do  not  care  to  tell  you ;  but  now  I 
can't  help  hoping  that  all  will  be  fair  weather  between 
us  in  future." 


THE     CHEMISTS     AT     WORK.  351 

"  If  it  depends  on  me,  aunt,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
about  that,"  was  the  smiling  reply.  "My  heart  has 
been  half  broken  by  my  banishment  from  your  apart- 
ments ;  but  now  that  you  are  good  to  me  again,  I  shall 
be  as  happy  as  a  bird." 

The  old  lady  wistfully  regarded  her,  and  she  said : 

"  What  a  pity  it  is  that  you  are  so  charming,  Clare  ! 
If  you  were  less  so,  you  would  not  be  tempted  to  trifle 
with  men's  hearts  as  you  do." 

"/a  trifler,  aunt?  Oh,  how  much  you  are  mistaken  ! 
How  could  you  have  obtained  such  an  impression  of 
me?" 

"  How,  child  ?  by  your  own  actions,  to  be  sure,"  in  an 
irritated  tone.  "  If  you  are  a  flirt,  you  ought  at  least  to 
have  grace  enough  to  admit  it.  In  the  world's  code,  it 
is  not  an  unpardonable  sin ;  in  my  code,  it  is  far  more 
pardonable  than  falsehood,  or — or  treachery  to  the  hand 
that  fosters  you." 

Clare  shrank  back  as  if  a  blow  had  been  struck  her, 
and  she  tremulously  said  : 

"  I  am  not  conscious  of  deserving  such  a  reproof  from 
you,  aunt.  If  you  think  so  badly  of  me,  send  for  papa, 
and  let  him  take  me  away." 

The  old  lady  glared  angrily  at  her. 

"  I  cannot  imagine  how  you  dare  to  speak  to  me  in 
that  way.  Send  for  your  father,  indeed !  A  pretty 
return  that,  for  all  the  kindness  I  have  lavished  on  you ! 
I  mil  send  for  him,  as  you  suggest,  and  banish  you  for- 
ever from  my  presence,  if  the  last  chance  I  am  willing  to 
give  you  to  regain  my  favor  is  not  used." 

"Aunt,  you  speak  in  riddles  which  I  am  unable  to 
solve.  If  I  could  clearly  understand  your  wishes,  I — I 


352        A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

—  No,  I  cannot  promise  anything ;  for  I  am  afraid  that 
all  my  efforts  will  not  enable  me  to  accept  the — the  lot 
you  have  awarded  me." 

"  So  it  seems  you  do  understand,  and  are  determined 
to  ruin  yourself  sooner  than  yield  to  my  earnest  desire  to 
see  you  suitably  and  happily  married.  That  is  enough, 
Miss  Desmond.  I  shall  send  for  your  father  to-morrow ; 
and  when  we  get  back  to  Riverdale,  you  may  pack  up 
your  things  and  get  ready  to  go  away  with  him." 

Struck  to  the  heart  by  this  sudden  ending  to  all  her 
hopes,  Clare  at  that  moment  understood  how  worthless 
had  been  the  love-charm  in  which  she  had  placed  such 
reliance.  Had  it  possessed  any  power,  her  aunt  could 
not  cast  her  off  in  this  harsh  and  heartless  manner,  and 
she  bitterly  regretted  having  used  it.  The  change  in 
Mrs.  Adair's  appearance  had  not  escaped  her,  and  she 
began  to  fear  that,  innocent  as  she  had  been  assured  it 
was,  there  might  be  something  in  it  peculiarly  hurtful  to 
one  of  her  aunt's  temperament. 

She  drew  her  veil  closely  over  her  face,  to  prevent  the 
others  from  seeing  its  pallor  and  the  tears  that  filled  her 
eyes. 

Mrs.  Adair  raised  her  voice,  and  sharply  said : 

"  Change  seats  with  Miss  Desmond,  Claudia.  I  prefer 
to  have  you  near  me,  for  you  at  least  do  not  thwart  me 
in  everything  on  which  my  heart  is  set." 

The  rowers  rested  on  their  oars,  and  Claudia  left  her 
seat  beside  Jasper,  and  sunk  into  the  one  poor  Clare 
hastened  to  relinquish. 

As  they  passed  each  other,  Claudia  managed  to 
whisper : 

"She  has  changed  her  mind  about  \Yalter  Brooke. 
Be  on  you  guard  with  him  to-day." 


THE     CHEMISTS     AT     WOEK.  353 

More  bewildered  than  ever  by  these  words,  Clare  in- 
dignantly felt  that  in  the  hands  of  these  two  women  she 
had  become  a  mere  puppet,  and  she  determined  that  be- 
fore twenty-four  hours  were  over  she  would  have  a  clear 
understanding  of  her  position,  and  not  permit  herself  to 
be  sent  away  in  disgrace  without  a  full  and  clear  ex- 
planation with  her  aunt. 

Claudia  had  managed  to  overhear  all  that  passed  be- 
tween Mrs.  Adair  and  her  niece,  and  she  comprehended 
that  the  time  for  changing  her  tactics  had  arrived.  The 
betrothal  of  the  lovers  must  now  be  brought  about  with- 
out delay,  the  will  be  made,  and  all  would  be  prepared 
for  the  final  blow. 

She  watched  every  symptom  of  the  old  lady,  and  saw 
plainly  that  she  failed  from  day  to  day,  though  she  com- 
plained little,  and  seemed  annoyed  if  any  one  spoke  of 
the  change  in  her  appearance.  She  had  grown  thinner, 
and  her  complexion  had  assumed  that  livid  tinge  often 
seen  in  persons  who  suffer  from  an  affection  of  the  heart. 

Claudia  was  aware  that  the  tragedy  of  her  grand- 
daughter's death  had  so  deeply  shocked  her,  that  from 
that  time  Mrs.  Adair  had  been  subject  to  attacks  of  faint- 
ness,  which  Mr.  Clifford  attributed  to  heart  disease.  She 
had  informed  Spiers  of  this,  and  the  elixir  prepared  by 
him  was  designed  to  increase  the  action  of  the  heart,  and 
thus  gradually  produce  death  in  a  natural  manner. 

"  The  end  must  soon  come  now,"  thought  the  remorse- 
less plotter,  "  and  an  understanding  between  those  two 
young  fools  must  be  brought  about.  The  old  lady 
knows  how  frail  her  hold  on  life  is,  and  there  will  be  no 
delay  in  settling  her  worldly  affairs  when  she  is  sure  that 
her  dearly  beloved  lands  will  not  be  divided  after  her 
22 


354       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

death.  Oh,  ho!  if  she  only  knew  who  will  have  the 
selling  of  them,  and  the  enjoyment  of  the  luxury  their 
price  will  purchase,  I  wonder  what  she  would  say 
or  do?" 

She  now  whispered  to  her  old  friend  : 

"  You  must  not  be  too  hard  on  Clare.  She  has  been 
hesitating  between  her  two  lovers,  and  I  am  sure  she  has 
finally  made  up  her  mind  to  refuse  Walter,  and  think 
more  favorably  of  your  candidate  for  her  favor." 

"But  she  has  just  told  me  herself  that  she  cannot,  or 
rather  mil  not,  let  me  choose  for  her,"  snapped  the  old 
lady. 

"  Then  there  must  be  some  misunderstanding  between 
you,  dear  madam ;  for  I  am  convinced  that  Clare  has 
lately  found  out  that  she  likes  Jasper  the  best  of  the  two. 
If  you  would  let  them  know  that  their  union  is  what 
you  wished  to  accomplish  in  bringing  her  hither,  I  think 
all  difficulty  would  be  at  an  end." 

"  Your  advice  tallies  with  that  of  Dick  Clifford,  but 
I'll  not  take  it  just  yet.  I  will  make  my  own  observa- 
tions to-day,  and  decide  what  is  best.  A  day  or  two  can 
make  little  difference  in  the  denouement." 

The  speaker  little  knew  how  much  would  happen  in 
the  time  she  named — how  slender  was  the  thread  on 
which  the  sword  of  fate  was  suspended;  how  soon  it 
might  fall,  and  crush  more  than  one  in  its  fatal  descent. 

The  boat  was  by  this  time  drawing  near  the  landing, 
and  Dr.  Brooke  and  his  son  were  there  to  welcome  them. 


MKS.    HARTE'S   GAME.  355 

CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

MRS.  HARTE'S  GAME. 

DR.  BROOKE,  in  a  new  and  fashionably-made  suit 
of  clothes,  with  crimped  ruffles  011  his  shirt  bosom, 
in  which  glittered  diamond  studs,  and  his  gray  hair 
carefully  brushed,  presented  so  unusual  a  sight  to  Mrs. 
Adair,  that  she  exclaimed  in  astonishment : 

"  What  an  Adonis  you  have  become,  Doctor !  Who 
would  believe  that  you  are  the  man  who  lately  thought 
comfort  is  the  great  desideratum  at  your  age  ?  What  on 
earth  has  induced  you  to  dress  yourself  up  in  a  tight- 
fitting  suit  of  broadcloth  in  such  weather  as  this?  I 
declare,  miracles  will  never  cease !  " 

The  doctor  cleared  his  throat,  and  seemed  much  em- 
barrassed at  this  unceremonious  address.  He  rather 
stiffly  said : 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  welcome  you  to  my  home  once 
more,  Mrs.  Adair,  and  I  cannot  see  why  you  should 
think  it  strange  that  I  make  a  better  toilet  than  usual, 
to  do  you  and  these  young  ladies  honor.  Excuse  me, 
madam,  but  I  am  surprised  at  such  brusqueuess  on  the 
part  of  a  lady  I  have  hitherto  considered  a  model  of  good 
taste  and  polished  breeding." 

"  I  feel  myself  snubbed,"  said  Mrs.  Adair,  laughing, 
"  but  I  put  up  with  it  like  an  angel,  Doctor,  because  I 
have  just  heard  something  that  has  put  me  in  too  good  a 
humor  to  allow  me  to  retort,  as  I  might  under  other 
circumstances.  I  declare  you  are  a  fine-looking  man 


356      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOKTTJNE. 

still,  and  few  persons  would  believe  that  you  are  but 
four  years  younger  than  I  am." 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  quite  a  Methusalah  yet,"  replied  the 
old  gentleman,  looking  black  as  a  thunder-cloud,  though 
he  made  a  grim  effort  to  smile.  "  Young  ladies,  you  are 
charming  as  ever,  I  perceive.  Jasper,  I  am  glad  to  see 
you,  though  I  should  have  been  better  pleased  -still,  if 
your  father  had  accompanied  you  hither." 

"  He  had  business  to  attend  to,  sir,  and  you  know  he 
rarely  visits  any  one." 

By  this  time  they  had  all  landed,  and  a  large  arm- 
chair with  two  bearers  was  awaiting  Mrs.  Adair,  as  the 
old  doctor  knew  that  the  exertion  of  mounting  the  slight 
elevation  on  which  his  house  stood  would  not  be  good 
for  her.  She  took  her  seat  in  it  without  comment,  for 
she  had  often  been  carried  that  way  before,  and  he 
walked  beside  her,  holding  a  large  umbrella  over  her 
head. 

Walter  Brooke  had  given  them  all  cordial  greetings, 
and  he  at  once  made  an  effort  to  appropriate  Clare ;  but 
this  Claudia  coolly  defeated.  She  took  his  arm,  saying, 
in  a  guarded  tone : 

"  I  have  something  important  to  say  to  you ;  so  you 
must  leave  Clare  to  Jasper  for  a  while,  if  not  altogether 
in  fact." 

His  greenish  gray  eyes  flashed  a  spark  of  angry  defi- 
ance at  her,  and  as  they  walked  on  together,  he  said  : 

"  I  do  not  understand  you,  Miss  Coyle ;  nor  am  I 
likely  to  accept  your  present  advice,  after  having  from 
your  own  hand  the  assurance  that  Clare  would  eventually 
consent  to  become  my  wife." 

"  I  believed  that  when  I  wrote  to  you ;  but  she  is  a 


MRS.   HAETE'S   GAME.  357 

coquette  at  heart,  and  I  am  sorry  I  sent  that  note.  All 
the  encouragement  she  has  given  you  of  late  was  only 
designed  to  bring  Jasper  out.  I  know  now  that  she  is 
in  love  with  him,  and  nothing  can  please  Mrs.  Adair  so 
much  as  a  union  between  them." 

"And  do  you  expect  me  to  give  her  up  to  him  without 
a  struggle?"  was  the  fierce  question  he  put  to  her. 
"  When  I  was  ready  to  withdraw  my  pretensions,  be- 
lieving that  perseverance  would  be  useless,  you  stepped 
in,  and  made  me  believe  that  Clare  had  repented  her 
rejection.  Her  manner  since  then  has  often  puzzled  me, 
and  I  have  wondered  whether  it  was  she  or  you  who 
was  playing  with  me,  using  me  for  some  purpose  of  your 
own." 

"  I  think  it  very  hard  that,  in  your  anxiety  to  screen 
Clare  from  blame,  you  should  judge  me  so  unjustly,  Mr. 
Brooke.  I  believe  she  did  intend  to  make  sure  of  a  good 
match  by  accepting  you,  until  she  discovered  that  her 
aunt's  heart  is  set  on  a  union  between  herself  and  Jasper, 
and  that  it  would  be  more  to  her  interest  to  take  him. 
She  deceived  me,  or  I  should  never  have  taken  the  part 
I  did.  In  what  way  could  I  hope  to  be  benefited  by 
taking  you  in  in  this  way,  I  ask  you  ?  " 

He  bluntly  replied: 

"  You  are  a  managing,  scheming  woman,  Miss  Coylc, 
and  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  it  was  a  dark  day  for 
Clare  Desmond — aye,  and  for  her  aunt  too — when  you 
took  up  your  abode  beneath  the  roof  of  Riverdale.  I 
cannot  see  how  you  are  to  be  benefited  by  the  treachery 
you  have  been  guilty  of  toward  me ;  but  that  you  had 
some  plan  of  your  own  to  serve,  I  feel  quite  sure.  Clare 
has  not  allowed  me  again  to  speak  of  love  to  her,  and 


358       A    NEW     WAY     TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

her  manner  to  me  has  been  so  shy,  that  before  to-day  I 
have  doubted  if  she  ever  gave  you  any  such  confidence  as 
you  reported  to  me." 

"  Think  what  you  please,"  said  Claudia,  haughtily,  as 
she  withdrew  her  arm  from  his.  "  I  am  quite  indif- 
ferent to  your  opinion,  though  I  know  I  was  acting  in 
good  faith.  I  have  heard  much  of  the  courtesy  of  Vir- 
ginia gentlemen,  but  you  give  me  a  fine  specimen  of  it 
here  on  your  father's  grounds,  where  I  am  received  as 
his  guest." 

"Walter  flushed  at  this  taunt. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  if  I  have  seemed  discourteous, 
Miss  Coyle.  No  one  respects  the  laws  of  hospitality 
more  than  I ;  but  the  suspicions  that  have  been  seething 
in  my  mind  for  days  past,  would  not  be  refused  utter- 
ance when  you  coolly  told  me  that  I  must  surrender  the 
girl  of  my  heart,  and  think  of  her  no  more." 

"You  are  welcome  to  think  of  her,  dream  of  her, 
madden  for  her,  if  you  choose,  but  I  say  to  you  that  you 
will  never  win  her;  and  moreover,  if  you  persist  in  de- 
voting yourself  to  her  to-day,  in  the  presence  of  her  aunt, 
you  will  ruin  her  hopes  of  succeeding  to  that  magnificent 
inheritance.  Only  as  the  betrothed  wife  of  Jasper,  will 
anything  be  given  her.  I  have  this  from  Mrs.  Adair's 
own  lips." 

"  The  deuce ! "  thought  Walter,  who  was  not  so  much 
in  love  with  Clare  as  to  be  indifferent  to  fortune.  "I 
wonder  if  she  is  speaking  the  truth  now,  or  if  she  is 
only  trying  to  disgust  me  with  the  pursuit  of  a  penniless 
bride." 

He  coldly  said : 

"  My  father's  son  can  afford  to  marry  without  asking 


MBS.   HABTE'S   GAME.  359 

what  dower  his  wife  is  to  have ;  but  I  should  be  sorry 
to  injure  Miss  Desmond's  chances  with  her  aunt,  nor 
will  I  thrust  on  her  attentions  that,  you  say,  will  now 
be  unwelcome  to  her." 

Claudia  laughed  bitterly. 

"  I  understand.  Stripped  of  her  golden  prestige,  Clare 
is  no  more  to  you  than  any  other  pretty  girl ;  though 
you  express  yourself  so  well,  Mr.  Brooke,  that  is  really 
the  true  meaning  of  your  words." 

Walter  was  about  to  make  an  angry  retort,  when  Mrs. 
Adair,  hearing  the  laugh  of  Claudia,  tur,ned  her  head, 
and  called  out : 

"What  is  amusing  you  so  much  there?  Come  up, 
and  tell  me ;  for  the  doctor  is  not  half  as  agreeable  as 
usual.  He  is  affronted  with  me  yet,  I  am  afraid,  be- 
cause I  commented  on  his  fine  dress." 

The  doctor  straightened  himself,  and  grew  stiffer  than 
ever,  and  Claudia  stepped  to  the  side  of  the  chair,  smiling 
brightly  on  its  occupant. 

"  It  was  only  some  nonsense  hardly  worth  repeating, 
dear  madam.  You  know  that  Walter  always  has  the 
power  to  make  me  laugh." 

"  But  I  insist  on  hearing  it,  for  I  feel  bored  already," 
said  the  old  lady,  regardless  of  the  effect  her  words  might 
have  on  the  two  gentlemen. 

Thus  pressed,  Claudia  called  on  her  invention,  and 
said : 

"  He  was  telling  me  a  funny  story  of  a  low-bred  man 
who  had  money  left  him  after  he  attained  what  should 
have  been  years  of  discretion.  He  wished  to  study  the 
language  and  habits  of  refined  people,  and  he  read  all 
the  hifalutin  novels  he  could  find,  adopting  their  big 


360       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

words  without  understanding  their  meaning.  He  was 
describing  a  romantic  cottage  to  Mr.  Brooke,  which  was 
built  on  a  stream  of  water,  and  he  said  the  house  was 
absconded  in  the  shade,  and  the  river  ran  previous  to  it. 
Ha,  ha !  Did  you  ever  hear  anything  so  absurd  ?" 

They  all  laughed,  and  Walter  was  marvelling  at  the 
fertility  of  Claudia's  invention,  when  the  old  lady 
checked  her  mirth,  and  dryly  said : 

"I  know  the  hero  of  that  story,  and  he  is  a  kind- 
hearted  though  uncultivated  man.  I  do  not  like  such  a 
person  to  be  .made  the  butt  of  ridicule,  Miss  Coyle." 

"Pardon  me,  madam.  I  was  not  aware  that  any 
friend  of  yours  could  commit  such  blunders.  At  any 
rate,  it  is  Mr.  Brooke  who  is  the  culprit,  not  I." 

Walter  flashed  &  contemptuous  glance  at  her,  and 
with  an  air  of  exaggerated  courtesy,  said : 

"I  never  contradict  a  lady ;  but  I  would  respectful ]y 
ask  Miss  Coyle  if  she  has  ever  descended  to  the  depths 
of  the  well  in  which  it  is  fabled  that  truth  dwells?" 

"I  never  answer  impertinent  questions,"  replied  Clau- 
dia, with  a  rippling  laugh,  but  a  look  of  defiance  was  in 
her  brilliant  eyes  as  she  turned  them  full  on  the  young 
man. 

He  ground  his  teeth,  and  muttered  through  them : 

"  If  you  were  one  of  my  own  sex,  I  would  wring 
answers  from  you  that  would  at  least  have  some  sem- 
blance of  truth  in  them." 

As  they  drew  near  the  house,  three  ladies  were  seen 
grouped  together  on  the  piazza.  Judith,  very  plainly 
attired,  and  looking  both  weary  and  annoyed,  stood  be- 
tween Mrs.  Harte  and  Phoebe  Simpson. 

The  widow  was  handsomely  and  becomingly  dressed 


MRS.   HARTE'S   GAME.  361 

with  natural  flowers  in  her  hair ;  and  when  Mrs.  Adair 
caught  sight  of  her,  she  glanced  significantly  at  her  old 
friend,  and  said  : 

"Ah-h  !  that's  it,  is  it  ?  " 

"  I — I  don't  understand  you,  madam,"  said  Dr. 
Brooke,  in  his  most  stately  manner.  "  I  never  was  good 
at  guessing  enigmas." 

"  I  only  thought  I  had  discovered  the  mystery  of  your 
spruce  appearance,  that  is  all.  Have  you  had  a  new 
revelation  from  the  spirit  world,  doctor  ?  " 

A  cloud  came  over  his  face,  and  he  curtly  said : 

"  That  phase  of  my  being  is  over.  The  angel  of  my 
life  has  entered  the  highest  heaven,  and  her  sublimated 
essence  is  no  longer  permitted  to  commune  with  earthly 
natures." 

"And  her  bust,  doctor  ?     What  has  been  its  fate  ?  " 

"  There  is  irony  in  your  tones,  Mrs.  Adair,  but  I  will 
answer  you.  The  consecrated  image  of  my  departed 
angel  is  broken  into  fragments — let  that  suffice.  It  is  a 
subject  too  sacred  to  be  discussed  by  me." 

By  this  time  they  had  gained  the  foot  of  the  steps, 
and  Judith  descended  them  to  welcome  her  old  friend, 
and  assist  her  to  the  room  that  had  been  prepared  for  her 
to  rest  in,  before  joining  the  company  in  the  parlor. 

Clare  and  Jasper  had  walked  behind  the  others,  al- 
most in  silence.  He  remembered  his  promise  to  his 
father,  but  he  could  not  resist  saying,  in  guarded  tones : 

"  Do  not  be  cast  down,  Clare.  My  aunt's  anger  will 
soon  be  dispelled,  and  the  full  sunshine  of  her  favor 
be  restored  to  you.  At  least,  I  have  good  reason  to 
believe  so." 

"  Oh  !  Jasper,  if  it  could  be  so !  but  I  will  know  the 


362        A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

worst  to-morrow.  I  will  no  longer  be  played  with  in 
this  manner.  She  has  threatened  to  send  me  away 
unless — unless  I — " 

Her  voice  broke  down,  and  she  seemed  on  the  point 
of  bursting  in  tears.  Jasper  hurriedly  said  : 

"  Compose  yourself,  my  dear  girl,  and  do  not  let  these 
people  see  how  unhappy  you  are.  Be  your  own  bright, 
sweet  self  to-day,  for  I  assure  you  that  the  clouds  are 
beginning  to  show  their  silver  lining  to  us." 

Clare  brightened  at  this,  for  she  was  hopeful,  and 
easily  consoled,  especially  by  Jasper,  and  by  the  time  she 
found  herself  among  the  little  crowd  on  the  piazza,  the 
paleness  had  left  her  cheeks,  and  her  lips  had  a  soft 
smile  upon  them. 

"  What  a  naive  child  she  is ! "  thought  her  lover ; 
"  yet  my  father  even  fancies  that  she  has  had  something 
to  do  with  that  nefarious  attempt  on  the  old  lady's  life. 
I  wish  he  had  spoken  the  whole  truth  to  me ;  I  feel  sure 
it  would  have  been  better." 

Phoebe  Simpson  flew  toward  Clare,  and  at  once  took 
possession  of  her,  saying : 

"  Oh  !  you  dear,  delightful  creature !  I  am  so  glad  to 
meet  you  again.  I  have  been  here  for  the  last  two  days, 
and  if  the  dear  old  Don  Quixote  hadn't  been  such  fun, 
I  should  have  died  of  the  blues.  Miss  Judith  isn't  my 
style ;  Walter  has  been  in  the  dumps,  and  all  I've  had 
to  keep  me  alive,  was  the  billing  and  cooing  of  those  two 
elderly  turtle-doves." 

"  You  don't  mean  that  Dr.  Brooke  is  seriously  think- 
ing of— of— " 

"  Well,  he's  doing  nothing  else,  as  you'll  soon  see  for 
yourself.  The  idol  is  smashed,  and  another  reigns  in  her 


;  MRS.    HAKTE'S   GAME.  363 

place/'  and  Phoebe  laughed  so  violently  that  Claudia, 
who  was,  as  usual,  listening  to  all  that  was  said  around 
her,  though  she  was  apparently  engaged  in  passing  com- 
pliments with  Mrs.  Harte,  thought : 

"  That  girl  has  had  some  agency  in  the  destruction  of 
the  bust,  and  it  will  go  hard  with  me  but  I'll  get  it  out 
of  her  before  I  leave.  I  will  defeat  this  woman's  plans, 
even  at  some  risk  to  myself." 

When  Judith  found  herself  alone  with  Mrs.  Adair, 
the  old  lady,  after  taking  off  her  wrappings,  and  resting 
in  a  large  chair,  commenced  on  the  subject  that  was,  at  that 
moment,  uppermost  in  her  mind.  After  conversing  for 
some  time  with  Judith  on  the  subject  of  her  father's 
marriage  with  Mrs,  Harte,  and  the  breaking  of  the 
marble  bust  of  Mrs.  Brooke,  she  said : 

"  Let  us  go  to  them,  Judith  ;  and  be  sure  that  we  shall 
find  some  means  of  breaking  up  this  ridiculous  affair." 

"I  should  be  very  glad  to. think  so,  but  I  am  afraid  it 
is  too  late  to  do  anything.  My  father  wished  you  to  be 
invited  here  to-day,  as  his  oldest  friend,  that  he  might 
communicate  his  engagement  to  you  himself." 

"  Good  Heavens !  you  don't  say  that  things  have  gone 
so  far !  he  may  be  sued  for  breach  of  promise  if  he 
draws  back ! " 

"Yes;  he  says  his  honor  is  pledged,  and  I  do  not 
think  that  anything  could  induce  him  to  retract.  That 
woman  has  bewitched  him,  Mrs.  Adair.  He  used  to  be 
fond  of  Walter  and  myself,  but  now  all  that  we  can  say 
has  no  weight  with  him.  He  has  told  Walter  to  marry 
your  niece,  and — and  if  I  choose,  he  says  I  may  recall 
Arthur  Bowden,  who,  you  know,  he  has  not  allowed  to 
visit  me  for  years.  Papa  was  never  willing  for  me  to 
marry  till  now." 


364       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOETUNE. 

Mrs.  Adair  drew  herself  up  at  the  allusion  to  Clare, 
and  a  little  stiffly  said  : 

"  My  niece  is  out  of  the  question  as  a  wife  for  your 
brother.  I  like  Walter  well  enough,  but  I  have  other 
views  for  Clare,  and  unless  she  falls  into  them  she  will 
have  no  fortune  from  me.  If  I  were  you,  I  would  take 
the  doctor  at  his  word,  and  renew  the  engagement 
with  your  old  lover.  I  always  thought  your  father's 
conduct  in  that  affair  arbitrary  and  supremely  selfish." 

"  Pray  don't  speak  so  harshly  of  him  as  that,  Mrs. 
Adair.  I  have  sacrificed  my  youth  to  him,  as  you  know, 
and  I  could  continue  to  devote  myself  to  him,  if  he 
would  permit  it.  Papa  has  already  seen  Arthur  himself, 
and  he  will  dine  here  to-day.  I  could  be  very  happy 
now,  if  it  were  not  for  the  fears  I  have  for  my  poor  old 
father." 

"  Oh  ho !  So  you  have  settled  your  affairs  before  let- 
ting any  of  your  neighbors  know  what  was  going  on.  I 
congratulate  you,  my  dear,  for  Arthur  Bowden  is  a  good 
and  true  man,  and  I  know  that  you  have  long  loved 
each  other.  '  It's  an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody  any 
good,'  says  the  proverb;  you  have  got  yours,  and  now  we 
must  raise  it  to  a  hurricane,  to  blow  all  Mrs.  Harte's 
plans  to  shreds.  Keep  up  your  courage,  dear,  for  we'll 
save  the  old  man  yet." 

When  they  entered  the  parlor  Mr.  Bowden  was 
already  there :  a  grave,  quiet  man  of  thirty-five  who  for 
ten  years  had  been  trying  to  gain  Dr.  Brooke's  consent 
to  marry  his  daughter.  This  had  been  withheld  because 
the  old  man  desired  Judith  to  remain  unmarried,  that 
she  might  be  mistress  of  his  house,  and  look  after  his 
welfare.  He  had  no  especial  objection  to  the  object  of 


MES.    HAETE'S   GAME.  365 

her  choice,  but  he  thought  Bowden,  who  was  a  practical 
man,  would  not  suit  him  as  a  daily  companion,  and  the 
thought  of  allowing  him  to  remove  his  only  daughter  to 
his  own  home  had  never  entered  his  mind. 

There  was  much  gay  talk  in  the  parlor,  and  the  young 
people  played  games  till  dinner  was  announced.  Mrs. 
Adair  looked  sharply  after  her  niece,  and  she  was  sur- 
prised to  see  that  Walter  held  himself  studiously  aloof 
from  her,  while  Jasper  was  always  hovering  near  her ; 
that  he  was  her  partner  at  chess,  which  he  was  teaching 
her;  and  the  old  lady  intercepted  more  than  one  look 
which  passed  between  them,  that  seemed  to  tell  the  old 
story. 

Dr.  Brooke  devoted  himself  openly  to  Mrs.  Harte, 
and  she  received  his  attentions  with  an  air  of  satisfied 
triumph  v/hich  exasperated  more  than  one  looker-on. 

The  dinner  was  sumptuous,  and  handsomely  served ; 
and  when  the  dessert  was  put  on  the  table  the  master  of 
the  feast  arose,  and  holding  high  a  glass  of  ruby  wine, 
said : 

"  My  friends,  you  are  all  aware  that  I  am  a  strict  tem- 
perance man,  but  on  an  occasion  like  the  present  I  must 
drink  with  you  to  the  health  of  the  two  brides,  and  also 
to  my  own  happiness." 

Judith  faintly  exclaimed : 

"Oh,  father  \n  and  Mr.  Bowden  looked  annoyed. 

The  old  man  went  on,  in  a  tone  of  exultation : 

"  Yes,  dear  friends,  of  two  brides.  The  lady  who  sits 
on  my  right  hand  has  promised  to  make  me  the  happiest 
of  men,  and  I  have  to-day  given  my  consent  to  the 
union  of  my  beloved  daughter  with  the  faithful  lover 
who  has  waited  for  her  as  Jacob  did  for  Rachel.  He  has 


366       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

found  his  reward  at  last.  Pledge  me  in  bumpers,  for 
this  is  a  joyful  occasion,  and  must  be  fitly  celebrated." 

The  wine  was  drank,  though  Phoebe  Simpson  almost 
choked  in  trying  to  swallow  hers,  for  she  was  shaking 
with  inward  laughter. 

Then  congratulations  followed,  and  soon  after  they 
arose  from  the  table. 

Mrs.  Adair  found  a  brief  moment  in  which  to  whisper 
to  Claudia : 

"  You  do  not  like  that  woman ;  get  at  the  truth  about 
the  breaking  of  Mrs.  Brooke's  bust.  You  can  find  it  out 
from  Phoebe :  from  the  way  she  giggles  I  know  she  had 
some  hand  iu  it." 

Claudia  nodded  intelligently,  and  said  in  reply : 

"  I  think  so,  too.  I  will  try  my  best  to  keep  Mrs. 
Harte  from  reigning  here,  as  you  may  well  believe." 

In  pursuance  of  this  resolve,  Claudia  used  all  her 
fascinations  on  Miss  Simpson,  and  finally  lured  her  to 
the  summer-house,  in  which  an  interview  between  her- 
self and  the  widow  had  once  taken  place. 

She  pretended  she  had  something  important  to  com- 
municate to  her,  and  when  they  were  under  the  shelter 
of  the  verdant  walls,  Phoebe  said  : 

"  Come  now,  Miss  Coyle,  don't  lose  any  time ;  for  I 
am  dying  to  get  back  to  the  house  to  watch  that  old 
Adonis  making  love,  in  his  pompous,  antiquated  fashion, 
to  the  divine  Aspasia." 

"  What  I  have  to  say  is  about  them,"  was  the  ready 
reply.  "  I  wish  to  ask  you  if  you  think  it  right  to  aid 
such  a  woman  as  you  must  know  Mrs.  Harte  to  be,  to 
establish  herself  here,  and  end  by  breaking  up  so  happy 
a  family  as  this  has  been  ?  " 


MRS.   HARTE'S    GAME.  367 

"  I  aid  her !  What  can  you  mean,  Miss  Coyle  ?  "  but 
the  speaker  flushed  guiltily. 

"  I  mean  exactly  what  I  say  :  that  you  were  privy  to 
the  destruction  of  Mrs.  Brooke's  bust,  and  were  probably 
the  agent  in  accomplishing  it.  Come  now,  Phoebe,  tell 
me  the  truth,  and  help  Dr.  Brooke's  friends  to  save  him 
from  the  toil  so  cleverly  prepared  for  him." 

Phoebe  hung  her  head  for  an  instant,  and  then  burst 
into  a  ringing  laugh. 

"  It  was  all  my  doing,"  she  said,  "  and  I  don't  mind 
telling  you,  especially  as  this  thing  must  not  go  any  fur- 
ther. I  cannot  allow  the  poor  old  man  to  be  victimized; 
but  I  don't  know  how  to  extricate  him  without  telling 
the  whole  story,  and  it  will  be  hard  to  do  that,  reckless 
as  I  am." 

"Tell  me,  and  I  promise  to  break  the  engagement  just 
announced,  without  detriment  to  you." 

"Can  you  do  that?" 

"  If  I  could  not,  I  would  not  promise  it.  Now  tell 
me,  please ;  and  also  what  was  your  motive  for  playing 
so  severe  a  practical  joke." 

"  My  real  motive  was  to  serve  good  old  Judith,  by 
bringing  about  just  what  has  happened ;  but  I  never 
meant  that  Mrs.  Harte  should  take  her  place  here.  I 
thought  it-would  be  such  fun  to  raise  her  hopes,  and  then 
disappoint  them.  Oh  dear!  I  almost  wish  I  had  not 
done  it  now." 

"  I  can  get  you  creditably  out  of  the  scrape,  if  you  will 
confide  in  me." 

"  I  cannot  see  anything  else  to  do,  so  here  goes.  I 
was  spending  a  night  here,  and  I  brought  with  me  a 
bottle  of  phosphorus,  with  which  I  daubed  a  miniature 


3G8      A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN     A    FORTUNE. 

likeness  of  Mrs.  Brooke,  which  I  had  copied  from  the 
picture  on  the  parlor  wall.  I  hung  that  up  opposite  the 
old  doctor's  bed,  and  pinned  a  white  handkerchief  so 
smoothly  over  it  that,  with  his  imperfect  vision,  I  thought 
it  would  escape  his  notice.  It  did,  and  I  waited  till  ho 
was  asleep  before  I  carried  out  the  rest  of  the  pro- 
gramme. 

"  Such  Weather  as  this  he  always  leaves  his  door  open, 
so  I  could  easily  ^get  into  the  room.  I  wrapped  a  large 
white  shawl  over  me,  went  in,  took  away  the  screen 
from  my  picture,  and  it  looked  frightful,  to  be  sure. 
I  then  lifted  the  bust,  which  sure  enough  was  on  his 
pillow,  and  dashed  it  down  with  all  my  strength. 

"It  broke  into  shivers,  and  the  doctor  started  up  with 
a  great  peaked  night-cap  on  his  head,  which  came  near 
making  me  shriek  with  laughter.  That  would  have 
spoiled  all,  you  know ;  so  I  controlled  myself,  and  in  a 
sepulchral  voice,  said : 

"  '  I  leave  you  forever.  My  home  is  henceforth  with 
the  highest,  and  you  may  console  yourself  with  your 
Aspasia/ 

"  He  put  out  his  long  arm  to  grasp  me,  crying  out 
that  he  could  not  let  me  go;  but  I  evaded  him,  and 
stepping  backward,  got  out  of  the  room,  and  ran  to  my 
own  chamber.  Mrs.  Harte  was  awake,  and  had  missed 
me,  and  I  told  her  what  I  had  done.  She  gave  me  a 
beautiful  bracelet  to  be  silent  and  let  things  take  their 
course.  That  is  the  whole  story,  Miss  Coyle,  and  if  it 
wasn't  for  Judith's  happiness  being  secured,  I  would  feel 
sorry  for  what  I  have  done.  If  you  can  only  help  me 
to  get  out  of  this  scrape,  I  shall  be  very  grateful." 

Claudia  laughed  merrily  over  the  story ;  but  she 
checked  her  mirth  suddenly,  and  said : 


MES.    HARTE'S   GAME.  369 

"  You  have  been  very  reckless,  Phoebe ;  but  I  promise 
to  do  my  best  for  you.  I  have  Mrs.  Harte  in  my 
power ;  and  when  I  get  back  to  Kiverdale,  I  will  send 
Dr.  Brooke  something  I  have,  which  will  show  him  that 
she  is  only  a  charlatan  in  petticoats.  What  did  you  do 
with  the  picture  you  smeared  with  phosphorus  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  jerked  it  down  as  I  ran  away,  and  held  it  up 
as  a  mask  before  my  own  face.  I  know,  from  the  excla- 
mations of  the  old  gentleman,  that  he  thought  it  was  the 
glorified  image  of  his  lost  wife." 

Claudia  laughed  again,  and  said  : 

"  I  have  seen  a  bust  that  you  modelled,  Phoabe,  and 
you  must  try  your  hand  on  Mrs.  Brooke.  Make  a  new 
statuette,  and  place  it  in  his  room.  You  can  get  up 
another  scene,  and  make  him  believe  that  his  wife  has 
found  it  impossible  to  remain  even  in  heaven  without 
communion  with  him.  He  is  so  crack-brained  on  that 
subject  that  he  will  readily  believe  it." 

"  I  can  easily  do  that,  for  my  first  attempt  at  sculpture 
was  a  copy  of  Mrs.  Brooke's  bust.  I  took  it  though 
without  the  doctor's  knowledge." 

"  So  much  the  better  for  our  purpose.     And  now  keep 
your  own  counsel,  and  we  will   make  Mrs.   Harte  so 
ridiculous  she  will  never  dare  to  show  her  face  in  this 
neighborhood  again." 
23 


370       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

CHAPTER    XXIX. 

CLAUDIA   VICTORIOUS. 

IDDY  and  thoughtless  as  she  was,  Phoebe  Simpson 
possessed  that  genius  to  which  Mrs.  Harte  was 
only  a  pretender.  Already  she  had  modelled  busts  of 
her  parents  which  were  considered  good  likenesses;  and 
she  had  made  an  exact  copy  of  that  of  the  deceased  Mrs. 
Brooke,  which,  luckily  for  Claudia's  plans,  her  father 
had  had  copied  in  marble  by  a  young  sculptor  in  Balti- 
more. 

Dr.  Brooke  had  never  seen  it,  as  it  had  been  sent 
home  only  a  few  days  before  this  visit,  and  was  designed 
by  Phoebe  as  a  present  to  Judith  when  she  married,  if 
her  father  would  ever  permit  her  to  fulfil  the  long  en- 
gagement which  had  existed  between  her  and  William 
Bowden. 

Mrs.  Simpson  was  not  particular  as  to  the  antecedents 
of  such  acquaintances  as  pleased  her,  and  the  handsome 
widow  had  been  picked  up  at  a  northern  watering-place 
two  summers  before,  and  invited  to  visit  her  in  her 
pleasant  Virginia  home. 

She  came,  half  conquered  the  old  doctor  by  her  airs 
and  graces,  and  other  schemes  failing,  she  returned  this 
summer  to  complete  the  victory  she  had  left  half  won. 
Triumphant  now,  Mrs.  Harte  bore  herself  proudly  and 
defiantly  before  those  who  she  intuitively  felt  were  hostile 
to  her. 

She  had  seen  Claudia  decoy  Phoebe  into  the  arbor,  and 
fearing  some  such  denouement  as  had  actually  taken 


CLAUDIA    VICTORIOUS.  371 

place,  she  escaped  from  the  doctor  by  reminding  him 
that  Mrs.  Adair  might  feel  neglected  if  he  devoted  him- 
self so  exclusively  to  her,  and  came  fluttering  down  the 
path  just  as  the  compact  between  Miss  Coyle  and  the 
young  culprit  was  completed.  She  glanced  keenly  from 
one  face  to  the  other ;  that  of  Claudia  was  inscrutable, 
but  Phoebe  colored  slightly,  and  seemed  discomposed  by 
her  appearance. 

"  What  treason  are  you  two  plotting  ?  "  asked  the  fair 
betrothed,  smiling  sweetly.  "  You  come  off  to  your- 
selves like  a  pair  of  real  conspirators." 

Claudia's  lip  curled  slightly  : 

"  If  we  are  conspiring,  Mrs.  Harte,  it  is  only  for  the 
benefit  of  an  old  friend.  We  were  arranging  a  pro- 
gramme for  an  amusing  performance;  that  is  all.  As  it 
is  completed,  we  will  return  to  the  house  now,  if  you 
please." 

Still  smiling,  Mrs.  Harte  asked : 

"  Who  are  to  play  the  chief  characters  in  the  comedy, 
may  I  inquire  ?  A  forsaken  mistress,  or  a — " 

She  paused,  frightened  at  the  fiery  flash  emitted  by 
Claudia's  eyes.  Her  face  had  grown  so  white  that  it 
looked  like  a  marble  mask,  and  she  waved  her  hand 
to  Phcebe,  saying,  with  lips  that  seemed  scarcely  to 
move: 

"  Leave  us.     I  have  something  to  say  to  Mrs.  Harte." 

Glad  to  escape,  the  young  girl  left  the  summer-house, 
and  hastened  to  join  the  rest  of  the  party  on  the  piazza. 

Mrs.  Harte  tossed  her  head  defiantly  as  Phcebe  disap- 
peared, and  said  : 

"  The  truce  is  broken,  Miss  Coyle,  and  I  throw  down 
the  gauntlet.  The  battle  may  be  d  I'outrance,  if  you 


372      A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FOKTUNE. 

choose.  You  have  been  tampering  with  my  young  ally, 
but  I  defy  you  to  defeat  my  plans  now" 

Claudia's  face  relaxed,  and  she  scornfully  said  : 

"  You  think  you  are  secure  because  the  poor  old  man 
you  have  to  deal  with  has  a  chivalrous  sense  of  honor; 
but  I  advise  you  not  to  be  too  much  elated  with  the 
success  which,  I  swear  to  you,  shall  be  as  short-lived  as 
your  insult  to  me  just  now  was  uncalled  for.  I  accept 
the  gage  of  battle,  madam,  and  I  will  soon  show  Dr. 
Brooke  what  a  sham  you  are,  in  more  respects  than 
one." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that  insinuation?  I  may 
have  passed  oif  other  people's  productions  as  my  own, 
but  in  other  respects  I  am  unassailable,"  was  the  angry 
response. 

"Ah-h !  can  you  prove  that,  Mrs.  Harte  ?  I  have 
taken  pains  to  learn  something  of  your  former  history 
since  our  last  encounter  in  this  place.  A  lady  who  has 
made  herself  so  familiar  with  mine  cannot  object  to  that, 
I  suppose ;  and  I  know  enough  to  make  any  man  hesi- 
tate before  surrendering  himself  to  the  tender  mercies  of 
yourself  and  your  brood." 

It  was  the  widow's  turn  to  grow  pale  now,  and  with 
effort,  she  gasped : 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?     I  do  not  understand  you." 

"  I  am  quite  willing  to  explain,  though  you  are  not  so 
obtuse  as  you  pretend  to  be.  You  have  passed  here  as  a 
childless  widow,  with  sufficient  fortune  to  enable  you  to 
flit  from  place  to  place,  sustaining  a  handsome  style  of 
living.  You  have  four  children  at  different  boarding- 
schools,  at  which  their  bills  are  rarely  paid.  Your 
income  is  not  over  a  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  the  one 


CLAUDIA    VICTORIOUS.  373 

aim  of  your  life  is  to  entrap  some  wealthy  man  into  a 
marriage  with  you,  that  you  and  your  young  cormorants 
may  devour  his  estate,  and  appropriate  the  fragments  to 
your  own  use." 

"  I  do  not  know  who  your  informant  may  have  been, 
Miss  Coyle,  but  you  are  quite  mistaken.  I  have  but  two 
children,  and  they  live  in  Canada  under  the  protection 
of  their  father's  brother." 

"You  acknowledge  two,  then,"  said  Claudia  dryly. 
"I  think  that  without  much  effort  two  more  can  be 
found  :  one  a  daughter,  eager  to  escape  from  the  restraints 
of  the  school-room ;  the  other  a  youth  of  sixteen,  who 
has  been  placed  at  a  manual  labor  institution  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  works  for  his  living,  and  that  is  more 
respectable  far,  than  for  the  others  to  be  clothed  and 
schooled  at  the  expense  of  the  old  shoemaker,  your  late 
husband's  brother." 

Mrs.  Harte  uttered  a  little  shriek,  and  sunk  down  on 
one  of  the  seats,  trembling  with  fear  and  rage. 

"  How  did  you  find  this  out,  and  what  use  do  you 
design  to  make  of  it  ?  " 

"I  found  it  out  through  one  you  knew  very  well 
once.  The  use  I  shall  put  it  to  is,  to  show  a  deluded  old 
man  the  precipice  on  which  he  stands." 

"But  who — icho  has  repeated  this — this  false  and 
shameful  tale  to  you  ?  " 

"  If  it  is  false  you  can  easily  prove  it  so,  but  John 
Spiers,  who  was  my  informant,  is  not  often  mistaken  in 
his  statements.  You  remember  him,  doubtless." 

The  rouge  on  Mrs.  Harte's  cheeks  contrasted  fright- 
fully with  the  pallor  that  overspread  them  as  Claudia 
uttered  that  name.  She  shivered,  and  faintly  said : 


374        A    NEW    WAY     TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"  Yes,  I  remember  him.  We  met  in  Rio  Janeiro,  and 
he  was  with  my  husband  in  his  last  illness.  He  robbed 
him,  I  am  certain,  and  mixed  drugs  with  his  medicine 
that  were  fatal  to  him ;  yet  I  had  no  proof,  and  he  was 
kind  to  me :  he  helped  me  to  get  back  home  with  my 
children.  Why  should  he  try  to  injure  me  now?" 

"Because  he  loves  the  woman  you  lately  dared  to 
threaten,  and  because  you  have  been  imprudent  enough 
to  repeat  to  others  the  slander  you  have  just  uttered  to 
me.  Leave  this  neighborhood  at  once,  Mrs.  Harte,  and 
give  up  your  pursuit  of  Dr.  Brooke.  Means  will  be 
found  to  convince  him  that  his  spirit  wife  has  not  for- 
saken him,  and  he  will  easily  console  himself  for  your 
desertion." 

"  If  I  do  leave,  it  shall  not  be  before  I  have  placed 
you  in  your  true  colors  before  the  old  lady  whose  wealth 
you  are  manoeuvring  to  secure.  If  John  Spiers  is  your 
ally,  you  will  succeed,  unless  I  unmask  you  at  once." 

Claudia  laughed  satirically. 

"  Let  us  tell  all  we  mutually  know  of  each  other.  It 
would  be  a  fine  scene  of  recrimination,  and  cover  us  both 
with  ridicule.  Don't  you  think  it  will  be  better  to  retire 
from  the  stage  with  dignity,  leaving  our  reputation  to  be 
picked  to  pieces  after  we  are  gone  ?  /  am  on  the  wing, 
for  a  week  hence  I  shall  have  left  Riverdale.  You  will, 
of  course,  pack  up  as  soon  as  you  get  back  to  Mrs.  Simp- 
son's, and  write  a  sentimental  adieu  to  your  ancient  lover, 
telling  him  that  the  fates  forbid  your  union.  Ha !  ha  ! 
What  a  farce  it  has  all  been  !  " 

Mrs.  Harte  was  no  match  for  Claudia  either  in  self- 
possession  or  craft,  and  she  wilted  completely  beneath 
the  discovery  of  her  actual  position.  She  almost  humbly 
said: 


CLAUDIA     VICTORIOUS.  375 

"  I  will  spare  you,  Miss  Coyle,  if  you  will  do  the  same 
by  me.  I  thought  I  had  secured  a  good  home  for  my- 
self and  my  children,  but  I  see  that  all  my  wiles  have 
been  thrown  away.  Give  me  time  to  get  away,  and  I 
will  go  as  soon  as  possible ;  but  I  exact  that  you  shall 
also  keep  your  word.  If  you  do  not  leave  Riverdale,  I 
shall  write  to  Mrs.  Adair  and  tell  her  all  I  know  about 
you." 

"  I  am  going,  as  I  told  you  before.  It  is  my  purpose 
to  leave  Riverdale  in  a  few  days.  Mrs.  Adair  will  have 
no  further  use  for  me,  as  her  niece  will  soon  be  married, 
and  Mrs.  Desmond's  family  will  be  summoned  to  assume 
the  place  near  the  old  lady  that  they  should  have  occu- 
pied long  since.  Adieu,  madam." 

She  swept  out  of  the  bower,  leaving  Mrs.  Harte  pal- 
pitating with  dread  of  her  adversary  and  fury  at  her  own 
defeat.  After  a  few  moments  she  arose,  and  tried  to 
recall  the  artificial  smile  to  her  lips,  as  she  muttered : 

"The  battle  is  not  always  to  the  strongest.  That 
woman  has  cowed  me  and  beaten  me  down  now,  but  I 
will  watch  and  wait.  If  she  leaves  Riverdale,  it  will  be 
to  carry  out  some  sinister  purpose  of  her  own  ;  and  now 
that  I  know  John  Spiers  to  be  her  lover,  there  is  every- 
thing to  fear  from  her  machinations  and  his.  I  must 
give  up  the  snug  nest  I  thought  I  had  secured,  but  she 
shall  win  her  game  no  more  than  I  shall  win  mine,  if  I 
can  prevent  it." 

In  the  meantime  Dr.  Brooke,  in  the  midst  of  his  con- 
versation with  Mrs.  Adair,  kept  casting  such  wistful 
glances  toward  the  summer-house,  that  Phoebe  Simpson 
impertinently  sang : 

"  My  heart's  in  the  bower,  my  heart  is  not  here, 
My  heart's  in  the  bower,  where  is  my  sweet  dear ; " 


376       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

improvising  a  parody,  as  she  went  on,  on  the  old  Scotch 
song,  which  she  knew  was  a  great  favorite  with  her  host. 

He  turned  suddenly  to  her  and  said : 

"  I  believe  you  are  a  genius,  Phoebe,  though  in  your 
present  undeveloped  state  you  are  a  great  torment. 
When  the  flower  conies  to  perfection,  if  Walter  has  not 
found  a  mate,  I  think  you  would  suit  him,  and  I  should 
have  a  wife  and  a  daughter  that  any  man  might  be 
proud  of." 

Phoebe  blushed  vividly,  glanced  toward  Walter  to  see 
if  he  overheard  his  father's  words,  and  finding  him  at  a 
safe  distance,  saucily  said : 

"  It  takes  two  to  make  a  bargain,  Doctor.  Your 
swans  sometimes  turn  out  geese,  you  know ;  so  I  am 
not  flattered  by  your  words,  especially  as  they  link  me 
with  one  who,  if  not  a  goose,  will  be  proved  a — -jackdaw." 

She  fluttered  away  before  he  could  ask  what  she  meant, 
and  a  moment  later  Mrs.  Harte  came  up  the  walk,  look- 
ing as  calm  and  smiling  as  usual.  After  exchanging  a 
few  words  with  the  doctor,  she  took  a  seat  beside  Mrs. 
Adair,  and  began  to  speak  guardedly  of  Miss  Coyle. 

But  if  she  intended  to  put  the  old  lady  on  her  guard 
against  her  unprincipled  companion,  Claudia  defeated 
her,  for  she  came  at  once  to  Mrs.  Adair  and  said : 

"  It  grows  late,  dear  madam,  and  there  is  an  ominous 
cloud  rising.  Orders  have  been  sent  to  get  the  boat 
ready,  and  we  shall,  if  we  start  at  once,  have  ample  time 
to  get  back  to  Riverdale  before  the  storm  bursts." 

Mrs.  Adair  arose  precipitately,  for  she  was  very  much 
afraid  of  lightning ;  she  called  to  Clare,  and  went  at  once 
to  prepare  for  departure. 

Judith  insisted  that  they  should  remain  till  the  storm 


CLAUDIA    VICTORIOUS.  377 

was  over,  or  even  all  night,  if  that  was  necessary ;  but  to 
that  Mrs.  Adair  would  not  listen.  She  had  not  passed  a 
night  from  beneath  her  own  roof  for  years,  and  she  knew 
she  could  not  sleep  out  of  her  accustomed  bed. 

So  a  hasty  and  rather  informal  parting  took  place, 
and  the  procession,  headed  by  Mrs.  Adair's  chair,  set  out 
fur  the  boat,  while  a  dark  cloud  began  to  gloom  heavily 
overhead. 

As  they  descended  the  steps,  Walter,  for  the  first  time 
that  day,  endeavored  to  gain  a  few  words  in  private  with 
Clare.  He  rather  stiffly  said  : 

"  I  have  something  to  say  to  you,  Miss  Desmond,  that 
may  be  of  importance  to  you.  I  beg  that  you  will  linger 
a  little  behind  the  others." 

Clare  slackened  her  pace. 

As  soon  as  they  were  sufficiently  distant  from  the 
others  to  avoid  being  overheard,  he  bluntly  asked : 

"Did  you  ever  confess  to  Claudia  Coyle  that  you 
repented  of  what  you  said  to  me  when  you  were  here 
several  weeks  ago  ?  " 

"  Never !  Do  you  suppose  I  would  do  such  a  thing  as 
that,  Mr.  Brooke  ?  If  Claudia  has  insinuated  that  she 
had  any  authority  from  me  to  mislead  you  as  to  the  state 
of  my  feelings,  she  has  been  false  to  both  of  us." 

"  I  could  show  you  written  proof  that  she  has  done  so, 
Miss  Desmond,  but  I  know  you  would  be  too  honorable 
to  read  what  was  never  intended  to  meet  your  eye.  I 
should  not  have  annoyed  you  with  my  attentions  after 
what  you  said  to  me  the  night  of  the  soiree,  had  I  not 
believed  that  Miss  Coyle's  assurances  were  true.  What 
her  object  was  in  so  deluding  me  I  cannot  fathom,  but  I 
am  sure  she  is  playing  some  deep  game  of  her  own,  in 


378        A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

which  you  and  I  have  been  used  as  counters.  Be  on 
your  guard,  for  I  cannot  think  she  is  a  friend  to  either 
of  us,  and  I  am  certain  she  is  still  less  friendly  to  Jasper. 
I  thought  this  morning  that  I  would  not  give  you  up 
without  a  struggle ;  but  what  I  have  seen  to-day  has 
convinced  me  that  perseverance  in  a  hopeless  cause  would 
be  useless." 

Clare  blushed,  and  then  became  pale. 

"  I  cannot  understand  Claudia's  tactics,  but  I  hope 
you  will  believe  that  I  am  incapable  of  trifling  with  you. 
If  I  have  accepted  your  attentions  lately,  it  was — it  was 
because  I  thought  to  please  my  aunt  by  allowing  them." 

"  Your  aunt !  Claudia  herself  told  me  this  morning 
that  it  has  always  been  her  wish  that  you  and — " 

What  he  would  have  said  further  was  cut  short  by 
the  imperious  voice  of  Mrs.  Adair,  who  was  by  this  time 
in  the  boat,  and  she  called  out : 

"  Hurry,  Clare,  and  sit  here  beside  me.  The  clouds 
darken  every  moment,  and  we  have  barely  time  to  get 
home  before  the  storm  bursts." 

Jasper  came  toward  themj  and  Walter  did  not  choose 
to  finish  what  he  was  saying  in  his  hearing.  He  saw 
Clare  placed  beside  her  aunt,  and  bowing  to  the  group  in 
the  boat,  said : 

"  I  think  there  is  ample  time,  Mrs.  Adair.  It  may 
lighten  a  little,  but  rain  will  hardly  fall  before  you  are 
safe  at  Biverdale.  Good-evening." 

Clare  was  thinking  of  Walter's  last  words,  and  wish- 
ing they  had  not  been  so  abruptly  broken  off,  when  she 
was  startled  by  a  shrill  cry  from  her  aunt.  At  the  same 
instant  a  dull,  rumbling  sound  was  heard,  and  a  vivid 
flash  of  lightning  quivered  over  the  bosom  of  the  dark 


CLAUDIA     VICTORIOUS.  379 

cloud  that  sailed  above  them.  A  few  large  drops  of  rain 
fell  upon  the  awning,  and  the  rising  wind  began  to  lash 
the  water  into  foam. 

Jasper  spoke  firmly : 

"  There  is  no  danger,  aunt.  Do  not  suffer  yourself  to 
become  excited.  We  shall  reach  the  landing  before 
another  flash  comes." 

"  I  have  a  horror  of  lightning,"  wailed  the  old  lady, 
now  in  a  state  of  agitation  that  alarmed  Clare,  and  she 
used  all  her  power  to  calm  her. 

The  landing  was  safely  gained.  Mrs.  Adair  was 
hurried  out  of  the  boat.  Mr.  Clifford  met  her  with 
shawls  and  umbrellas,  and  Miss  Coyle  sprang  out  to  ac- 
company her  to  the  house. 

Jasper  remained  behind  to  assist  Clare,  and  just  as  the 
two  were  about  to  step  on  shore,  a  loud  crash  came,  the 
awning  was  rent  in  twain,  and  a  blinding  flash  of  light- 
ning struck  the  boat,  stunning  the  lovers,  and  they  both 
fell  into  the  stream. 

For  an  instant  Jasper  was  bewildered,  but  the  shock 
of  the  sudden  plunge  restored  him  to  consciousness,  and 
he  wildly  grasped  at  the  sinking  form  of  Clare. 

The  next  moment  she  was  in  his  arms  and  he  was 
striking  out  for  the  life  that  was  dearer  to  him  than  his 
own.  She  lay  limp  and  half  senseless  on  his  breast,  and 
he  cried  into  her  ear : 

"Arouse  yourself,  my  darling ;  live  for  me,  for  I  love 
you  beyond  all  things.  I  am  a  strong  swimmer.  I  will 
save  you,  my  own — my  own  now  and  forever." 

Her  voice  came  faintly  to  his  ear : 

"And  I  love  you  too,  Jasper.  It  is  sweet  to  die  with 
you,  if  I  cannot  live  for  you." 


380       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

The  next  moment  they  were  swept  away  by  an  eddy 
in  the  current,  and  the  two  excited  negroes,  who  were 
recovering  from  their  fright,  hurried  in  pursuit  of  the 
lovers,  hoping  to  be  in  time  to  save  them. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

THE     LOVERS. 

MRS.  ADAIR,  alarmed  by  the  lightning  which 
played  now  incessantly  overhead,  hurried  on, 
unconscious  of  the  catastrophe  that  had  happened  to  the 
boat  and  its  occupants.  Mr.  Clifford  and  Claudia, 
anxious  for  her  safety,  scarce  cast  back  a  glance  to  those 
they  had  left,  and  were  not  aware  of  the  deadly  peril  of 
Clare  and  Jasper. 

"When  they  reached  the  door,  Mr.  Clifford  hurriedly 
said  in  a  low  voice  to  Claudia : 

"  I  will  leave  my  aunt  to  your  care,  Miss  Coyle,  and 
return  to  see  what  has  become  of  the  others.  They  are 
not  in  sight,  and  I  fear  that  something  may  have  hap- 
pened." 

He  was  gone  the  next  moment,  and  Claudia  grew  pale 
to  the  lips  with  the  dread  that  all  her  plans  might  be 
defeated,  almost  in  the  moment  of  fruition,  if  anything 
fatal  happened  to  Clare.  But,  so  long  as  Mrs.  Adair's 
will  was  unmade,  her  safety  was  quite  as  important  as 
that  of  her  heiress,  so  she  hastened  to  get  the  old  lady  in 
bed,  and  to  give  her  a  composing  draught  which  would 
quiet  her  nerves.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Clifford  ran 


THE     LOVERS.  381 

back  to  the  landing  just  in  time  to  see  his  son  lifted  into 
the  boat,  still  clinging,  in  his  exhausted  condition,  to  the 
senseless  form  of  Clare. 

"  My  son  !  rny  son  !  speak  to  me ! "  cried  the  agonized 
father.  "  Tell  me  that  all  is  well  with  you." 

Jasper  lifted  his  head  and  made  an  effort  to  stagger  to 
his  feet,  as  he  faintly  replied  : 

"Do  not  be  alarmed  on  my  account,  father.  I — I 
shall  soon  be  all  right.  But  Clare  is  half  drowned,  and 
if  she  does  not  have  immediate  assistance  she  will  die." 

In  half  an  hour  the  two  were  in  bed,  and  stimulants 
were  freely  used  to  restore  the  chilled  circulation. 

Clare  lay  faint  and  pale,  but  with  a  smile  of  ineffable 
happiness  upon  her  lips ;  for  she  knew  now  that  her 
fate  was  linked  with  that  of  Jasper  for  good  or  ill,  and 
all  other  worldly  considerations  seemed  of  trifling  impor- 
tance in  comparison  with  the  great  happiness  which  had 
come  to  her  in  that  moment  of  mortal  peril. 

Mrs.  Adair  was  kept  in  ignorance  of  what  had  hap- 
pened, but  Claudia  came  to  Clare's  room  as  soon  as  she 
could  leave  the  old  lady,  and  warmly  congratulated  her 
on  her  escape. 

She  smilingly  said  : 

"'None  but  the  brave  deserve  the  fair/  After  this 
romantic  episode,  of  course  Jasper  must  claim  the  life- 
long devotion  of  the  fair  one  he  has  saved  so  gallantly." 

Clare  turned  her  face  away,  for  she  remembered  what 
Walter  Brooke  had  so  lately  told  her,  and  she  could  no 
longer  keep  up  a  semblance  of  liking  for  the  false  wo- 
man who  had,  she  now  believed,  produced  the  estrange- 
ment between  herself  and  her  aunt.  She  faintly  said  : 

"  I  cannot  talk  with  you  now,  Claudia.     Please  leave 


382       A     NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     POETUNE. 

Lyra  to  watch  beside  me  while  I  sleep,  for  I  am  very 
much  exhausted." 

Claudia  gave  her  a  vindictive  glance,  and  clenching 
her  long,  lithe  fingers,  as  if  clutching  something  in  their 
relentless  grasp,  left  the  room,  muttering : 

"  I  have  my  hand  upon  your  fate  now,  and  I  care  not 
what  you  either  know  or  suspect.  I  defy  you  to  escape 
me.  Jasper  has  betrayed  his  love  in  words.  The  old 
lady  must  be  told,  the  will  be  made,  and  then  the  way  is 
clear  before  me  to  the  enjoyment  of  all  I  have  planned, 
schemed  and  suffered  to  attain.  Eureka!  the  prize  is 
as  good  as  won." 

She  went  to  her  own  apartment,  dismissed  Hebe,  and 
packed  a  satchel  with  such  articles  as  she  would  require 
during  a  few  days'  absence.  "When  an  explanation  took 
place  between  Mrs.  Adair  and  the  lovers,  she  knew  that 
her  double  treachery  must  be  discovered,  and  she  in- 
tended to  evade  the  storm  that  would  inevitably  fall  on 
her,  by  disappearing  till  Mrs.  Adair's  death  took  place. 
Then  she  would  return  in  triumph,  to  reap  the  fruits  of 
her  baseness.  That  the  old  lady's  life  was  now  limited 
to  a  mere  span  she  fully  believed,  for  she  had  failed 
rapidly  lately,  and  Spiers  himself  had  warned  her  that  the 
quantity  of  the  elixir  she  had  taken  must  speedily  bring 
about  the  catastrophe  for  which  they  had  so  zealously 
labored. 

She  also  packed  a  small  trunk,  to  be  sent  for  in  case 
Mrs.  Adair  lingered  longer  than  she  believed  possible ; 
and  when  all  was  accomplished,  Claudia  retired  to  her 
couch,  and  slept  as  sweetly  as  if  no  thought  of  wrong- 
doing had  ever  entered  her  mind. 

The  next  morning  arose  bright  and  serene,  as  if  no 


THE     LOVERS.  383 

storm  had  ever  marred  the  clear  azure  vault,  and  both 
Jasper  and  Clare  appeared  at  breakfast,  perfectly  recov- 
ered from  the  effects  of  their  involuntary  bath.  Mrs. 
Adair  was  still  invisible,  but  she  sent  a  message  to  say 
that  she  was  better  than  usual,  and  wished  to  see  her 
niece  as  soon  as  the  morning  meal  was  over.  Mona  said 
she  was  already  up  and  dressed,  and  seemed  in  unusual 
good-humor. 

The  lovers  glanced  at  each  other,  and  when  they  arose 
from  the  table,  Jasper  followed  Clare  into  the  hall,  and 
drawing  her  with  him  to  the  piazza,  earnestly  said : 

"You  must  not  go  alone,  Clare.  I  will  accompany 
you  to  my  aunt,  and  tell  her  that  we  have  found  out,  in 
a  moment  of  peril,  that  we  cannot  live  without  each 
other." 

"  Have  you  told  your  father,  Jasper  ?  What  will  he 
say,  if  he  knows  that  you  are  risking  my  aunt's  favor, 
by  choosing  me  as  your  future  wife  ?  " 

Mr.  Clifford  had  followed  them  closely,  and  he  now 
stepped  forward,  and  almost  with  solemnity  said  : 

"  If  you  can  pledge  me  your  word  of  honor,  Clare,  that 
never  in  your  life  have  you  been  guilty  of  anything  that 
renders  you  unworthy  of  my  son,  I  say  that  you  have 
my  full  consent  to  make  your  appeal  to  Mrs.  Adair." 

Clare  lifted  her  innocent  eyes  to  his  face,  and  with  the 
irresistible  power  of  truth,  calmly  said : 

"  It  is  a  strange  pledge  to  require  of  me,  Mr.  Clifford, 
but  I  can  give  it.  My  conscience  acquits  me  of  any 
intentional  wrong-doing,  and  I  believe  I  would  shrink 
from  any  thought  of  evil  with  the  loathing  felt  for  it  by 
every  pure  heart." 

"  Thank   God  !  "  he  fervently  breathed.     "  I   believe 


384       A     NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

you,  Clare.  In  spite  of  all,  I  have  faith  in  you,  and  I 
will — save  you  if  man  can  do  it." 

"  Save  me  from  what  ?  "  she  asked,  with  a  frightened 
look.  "  I — I  have  done  nothing  to  compromise  myself 
in  any  way,  Mr.  Clifford." 

"  What  are  you  doing  in  your  aunt's  room  every  even- 
ing when  she  has  gone  to  take  her  drive  ?  I  have  seen 
you  there  myself,  Clare." 

For  an  instant  the  poor  girl  seemed  on  the  verge  of 
fainting,  and  Jasper  passed  his  arm  around  her  to  pre- 
vent her  from  falling. 

Mr.  Clifford  patiently  waited  till  she  could  speak. 

"  I  have  been  very  silly,  but  I  have  done  nothing 
hurtful  to  my  aunt.  My  nurse  is  superstitious ;  she  be- 
lieves in  love-charms,  and  insisted  that  she  could  get  me 
one  that  would  make  my  aunt  fond  of  me.  I  allowed 
her  to  do  so ;  and  when  Mrs.  Adair  grew  angry  with 
me,  and  treated  me  coldly,  I  made  use  of  the  elixir. 
But  I  prayed  to  God  fervently  every  time  I  mixed  it 
with  her  lemonade,  Mr.  Clifford,  and  I  would  not  have 
dared  to  do  that  if  I  had  intended  any  harm  to  her." 

"I  fully  believe  you,  Clare;  but  can  you  tell  me  from 
whom  your  nurso  obtained  the  elixir  ?  " 

"From  an  old  fortune-teller  who  lives  near  Ports- 
mouth. She  deals  in  such  things ;  but  I  feel  now  that  I 
was  wrong  to  place  any  faith  in  them." 

"  It  would  have  been  better  if  you  had  not  meddled 
with  such  doubtful  jugglery ;  but  I  exonerate  you  from 
any  evil  motive,  my  dear,  and  it  will  go  hard  with  me 
but  I  will—" 

He  broke  off  abruptly,  and  addressed  his  son. 

w  Go  in  with  Miss  Desmond,  and  tell  your  story  to  the 


THE     LOVEES.  385 

old  lady.     I  will  await  your  return  here,  if  I  am  not 
summoned  to  the  interview  before  it  ends." 

Clare,  nervous  and  bewildered  by  what  had  taken 
place,  unable  to  understand  the  nature  of  the  suspicions 
which  Mr.  Clifford  had,  for  a  season,  entertained  against 
her,  moved  slowly  by  Jasper's  side,  holding  to  his  arm, 
as  if  safety  was  only  to  be  found  in  his  protection. 

He  made  every  effort  to  reassure  her,  and  bring  back 
her  composure ;  but  when  they  entered  Mrs.  Adair's 
room  she  was  as  pale  as  a  ghost,  and  trembling  with 
excitement. 

The  old  lady  was  seated  in  her  usual  chair,  and  al- 
though she  was  smiling  graciously,  they  both  saw  that 
the  alarm  of  the  previous  evening  had  told  on  her,  for 
she  looked  almost  ghastly  in  the  light  that  fell  into  her 
room  through  the  waving  branches  of  the  trees  without. 
Her  toilet  was  made  with  unusual  care,  and  she  almost 
gayly  said : 

"  Welcome,  my  two  young  water  sprites.  Mona  has 
told  me  of  your  narrow  escape  last  evening.  I  am  glad 
I  did  not  know  it  before,  or  I  should  not  have  slept  a 
wink  last  night.  What  ails  you,  Clare,  that  you  look 
ready  to  faint  ?  I  hope  you  are  not  afraid  of  me,  child  ?  " 

"  Yes,  aunt,  I  am  afraid,  for  I  have  come  to  tell  you 
that  in  spite  of  your  opposition  I  have  elected  to  take 
Jasper,  and  give  up  the  hopes  I  had  when  I  came  hither. 
Take  Christine  to  your  heart,  Aunt  Adair,  and  let  me 
live  for  the  one  I  prefer  to  all  others." 

Jasper  had  permitted  her  to  take  the  initiative,  because 
he  wished  Mrs.  Adair  to  know  that  Clare  had  accepted 
him  in  the  full  belief  that  in  so  doing  she  relinquished 
all  hope  of  fortune  from  her. 
24 


386       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

He  now  said  with  a  smile  : 

"  Yes,  aunt,  we  have  come  to  ask  your  blessing  on  our 
union ;  and  the  sooner  it  can  take  place,  the  better  we 
shall  both  be  pleased." 

Clare,  unable  to  sustain  herself,  had  sunk  on  her  knees 
before  her  aunt.  Mrs.  Adair  raised  her  kindly,  though 
she  sharply  asked  : 

"  Who  has  put  it  in  your  head  that  I  should  be  angry 
with  you,  if  you  consented  to  marry  Jasper  ?  It's  what 
I've  wanted  all  along.  It's  what  I  had  in  view  when  I 
brought  you  here,  child." 

"  Oh,  aunt !  Claudia  made  me  believe  that  your  wishes 
pointed  in  another  direction — that  Walter  Brooke  was 
the  one  you  had  chosen  for  me." 

"  What  could  the  deceitful  minx  mean  by  such  false- 
hood as  that?  She  has  had  my  confidence  all  along,  and 
this  is  the  way  she  abuses  it.  Walter  Brooke,  indeed ! 
He  is  well  enough  in  his  way,  but  he  is  no  match  for  my 
heiress.  Yes,  you  are  that,  Clare,  from  this  hour,  and  I 
am  going  to  make  my  will  at  once.  Send  for  your 
father,  Jasper ;  he  is  lawyer  enough  for  my  purpose,  and 
I  shall  not  wait  another  hour  to  accomplish  a  duty  I 
should  have  attended  to  before,  if  I  could  have  made  up 
my  mind  as  to  who  should  reign  here  after  myself.  I 
am  a  fantastic  old  woman,  but  I  have  tried  to  be  a  just 
one." 

"Dear  aunt,  you  are  more  than  just — you  are  kind- 
ness itself.  If  I  had  only  known — if  I  could  have 
dreamed  of  your  purpose  in  bringing  me  hither,  that 
cruel  estrangement  would  never  have  taken  place  be- 
tween us." 

"If   you   had   known    it,  you'd  have  been  as    per- 


THE     LOVERS.  387 

verse  as  the  others  were,  and  you'd  never  have  taken 
a  fancy  to  Jasper.  It's  the  senseless  way  of  young 
people  to  insist  on  choosing  for  themselves.  I  thought 
the  best  way  to  success  was  to  make  you  both  believe 
that  I  was  opposed  to  such  a  match  ;  but  I  did  not  intend 
to  have  your  mind  filled  with  the  idea  that  I  wanted  you 
to  marry  somebody  else.  I  cannot  imagine  what  Claudia 
meant  by  such  gratuitous  falsehood ;  but  I'll  pay  her  out 
for  it.  I'll  speak  my  mind  to  her,  and  then  she  may  go 
her  way,  for  I'll  have  no  such  traitor  about  me.  Kiss 
me,  child,  for  you  have  made  me  very  happy." 

Clare  tenderly  pressed  her  lips  on  the  worn  brow  bent 
toward  her;  and  the  next  moment  Jasper,  who  had 
gone  himself  for  his  father,  entered  the  room  with  nim. 
With  his  grave  smile,  Mr.  Clifford  pressed  the  old  lady's 
hand,  and  said : 

"The  wish  you  have  had  most  at  heart  is  at  last 
accomplished,  dear  madam.  These  young  people  have 
proved  their  disinterestedness  by  agreeing  to  take  each 
other  for  better,  for  worse;  Clare,  at  least,  believing, 
when  she  accepted  my  son,  that  she  elected  to  give  up  all 
her  hopes  of  fortune  for  his  sake." 

"  Then  you  betrayed  me  to  Jasper.  It  does  not  matter 
now  though  ;  and  Clare's  freedom  from  mercenary  feeling 
was  what  I  wanted  to  test." 

"  The  test  has  been  equally  strong  for  Jasper,  for  he 
expressed  his  unalterable  intention  to  ask  Clare  to  become 
his  wife  before  I  told  him  that  to  do  so  would  be  to 
please  you  well." 

"Then  all  is  right;  and  to  make  things  sure,  I  will 
set  you  to  work  to  draw  up  my  will  at  once.  I  have 
passed  a  good  night,  in  spite  of  the  exertion  I  made 


388       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

yesterday,  and  I  feel  as  well  as  usual ;  but  yon  know, 
when  a  duty  is  to  be  performed,  it  is  well  to  have  it  done 
quickly.  No  one  can  tell  what  a  day  may  bring  forth, 
and  I  am  quite  an  old  woman  now.  I  am  not  strong, 
and  I  could  not  lie  at  rest  in  my  grave,  if  I  had  not 
settled  my  affairs  to  suit  myself,  Bring  your  bride  to 
me,  Jasper." 

The  two  approached,  and,  at  a  sign  from  her,  knelt 
before  her.  She  placed  her  hands  upon  theirs,  and  held 
them  in  a  firm  clasp,  as  she  solemnly  said : 

"  May  the  blessing  of  heaven  follow  and  rest  on  you, 
for  the  joy  you  have  given  an  old  woman's  heart.  May 
prosperity  dwell  with  you,  and  the  love  that  now  unites 
your  hearts  never  grow  cold.  Be  upright,  charitable,  and 
true  in  all  your  dealings  with  others,  that  the  great 
Father  of  all  mankind  may  send  to  you  no  such  retribu- 
tion in  this  world  as  has  fallen  to  my  share.  I  have  been 
a  hard,  haughty  woman,  and  I  have  erred  many  times, 
but  I  have  asked  forgiveness  in  the  name  of  Him  who 
was  sent  to  redeem  sinners,  and  I  trust  that  my  sins  are 
forgiven.  Go  now,  my  children,  and  be  happy." 

Both  reverently  kissed  the  withered  hand  that  held 
theirs ;  they  then  arose  and  went  out  together.  As  they 
were  leaving  the  room,  Mrs.  Adair  called  out  to  Jasper : 

"Send  a  messenger  to  Brookover  for  the  doctor  and 
his  son,  as  I  wish  them  to  witness  my  will ;  and  say  to 
Miss  Coyle  that  I  will  see  her  here,  two  hours  from  this 
time." 

Claudia,  in  the  meantime,  had  not  been  inactive.  She 
had  overheard  a  portion  of  what  passed  on  the  piazza 
between  the  three  who  stood  there  after  breakfast  was 
over:  and  when  Clare  and  her  lover  went  to  Mrs. 


THE     LOVEES.  389 

Adair's  room  to  announce  their  betrothal,  she  flitted 
around  the  house  and  entered  the  tower  in  which  she  had 
passed  so  many  hours  at  the  organ.  On  one  side  was  a 
private  door  communicating  with  the  flower-garden,  of 
which  she  usually  kept  the  key,  and  she  now  ensconced 
herself  behind  the  curtain  which,  in  summer,  fell  over 
the  open  space  between  the  two  rooms.  From  this  point 
of  observation  she  could  not  only  hear,  but  see  all  that 
passed  in  Mrs.  Adair's  apartment. 

Her  lip  curled  defiantly  as  she  heard  the  old  lady's 
threat  against  herself,  and  she  muttered  : 

"  You  have  seen  me  for  the  last  time,  my  dearly  be- 
loved old  dragon.  I  may  look  on  you  once  more,  but  it 
will  be  when  you  are  lying  stiff  and  cold,  unable  to  hurl 
your  anathemas  at  me  because  I  have  so  cleverly  schemed 
to  secure  my  own  interests." 

Her  thoughts  were  interrupted  by  the  voice  of  Mrs. 
Adair. 

"There  are  writing  materials  on  the  table  yonder, 
Dick ;  draw  it  a  little  nearer  to  me,  and  I  will  dictate  to 
you  what  I  wish  you  to  write  down  as  to  the  disposition 
of  my  property." 

Mr.  Clifford  was  soon  ready  with  the  pen  in  his  hand, 
and  Claudia  listened  greedily  to  the  words  that  fell  from 
Mrs.  Adair's  lips.  To  Mr.  Clifford  himself  a  legacy  of 
five  thousand  dollars  in  bank  stock  was  left.  Mona  was 
to  have  her  freedom  and  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars ; 
and  there  were  several  other  trifling  bequests :  one  of 
fifty  dollars  to  Dr.  Brooke  to  purchase  a  seal  ring,  and 
one  of  a  thousand  dollars  each  to  the  two  younger 
children  of  Mrs.  Antoinette  Desmond. 

The  testatrix  paused  here,  and  said  : 


390       A     NEW     WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

"Their  parents  are  already  sufficiently  provided  for 
by  the  gift  of  the  stock  you  bought  in  Mrs.  Desmond's 
name  when  you  were  away  last  week.  I  shall  give  them 
nothing  more.  I  intended  to  have  given  Claudia  Coyle 
something  handsome,  but  she  has  forfeited  all  claims  on 
me  by  the  treachery  she  fyas  been  guilty  of  in  trying  to 
defeat  a  marriage  between  Jasper  and  Clare.  I  shall 
pay  the  wages  due  her,  and  no  more.  I  feel  now  that  I 
have  trusted  her  too  far,  but  I  could  not  believe  so 
plausible  a  person  so  base  as  she  has  proved  herself 
to  be." 

Claudia  snapped  her  fingers,  and  viciously  muttered : 

"That  for  your  good  or  evil  opinion  of  me!  Go  on, 
old  imbecile,  and  make  such  a  disposition  of  your  prop- 
erty as  I  wish,  and  I  shall  win  all  I  shall  want,  without 
the  necessity  of  shedding  crocodile  tears  over  you  when 
you  are  laid  in  your  grave." 

Mr.  Clifford  here  spoke : 

"  I  have  warned  you  against  Miss  Coyle,  madam,  but 
you  would  not  listen  to  me.  I  have  long  fathomed  her 
character.  I  am  glad  that  her  name  will  not  appear  in 
your  will.  Shall  I  go  on  now  ?" 

"  Not  until  you  have  looked  behind  that  curtain.  I 
thought  I  heard  a  sound  come  from  there  just  now." 

Before  Mr.  Clifford  could  push  back  his  chair  and 
gain  the  curtained  space,  Claudia  had  flitted  noiselessly 
across  the  floor,  softly  unclosed  the  outer  door,  and  re- 
treated behind  a  clump  of  shrubbery,  lest  he  should 
pursue  his  investigations  by  looking  into  the  flower- 
garden. 

He  did  not  do  so,  and  in  a  few  moments  Claudia  re- 
turned to  her  post,  determined  to  hear  the  portion  of  the 


THE     LOVEES.  391 

will  in  which  she  was  most  vitally  interested.  The  first 
words  she  heard  were : 

"  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  beloved  niece,  Clare  Des- 
mond, all  my  real  and  personal  estate,  except  the  legacies 
named  above,  to  be  held  and  enjoyed  by  he,r,  and  to  be 
transmitted  by  her  at  her  decease  at  her  own  pleasure, 
on  the  condition  that  the  land  shall  not  be  divided,  at 
least  during  her  lifetime. 

"  To  my  beloved  nephew,  Jasper  Clifford,  I  bequeath 
my  consent  to  his  union  with  my  heiress,  thus  rendering 
it  unnecessary  to  provide  further  for  him." 

"  Had  you  not  better  insert  a  clause,  making  Clare's 
inheritance  dependent  on  her  marriage  with  my  son," 
asked  Mr.  Clifford.  "  It  will  be  safer  for  both  of  them, 
perhaps." 

Claudia's  heart  seemed  to  leap  to  her  lips  at  this  sug- 
gestion, and  she  scarcely  breathed  as  she  listened  for  the 
reply. 

It  came  in  sharp  tones : 

"  What  is  the  need  of  doing  that  ?  Have  you  not 
assured  me  that  both  were  ready  to  sacrifice  all  for  each 
other  ?  There  is  no  need  to  hamper  Clare  in  that  way." 

Mr.  Clifford  unclosed  his  lips  to  give  his  reasons  for 
the  request,  but  the  ghastly  face  of  Mrs.  Adair  alarmed 
him,  and  he  sprang  to  her  assistance,  forgetting  all  about 
the  will  and  its  contents. 

After  a  few  moments  of  painful  suspense  on  his  part, 
she  lifted  her  head  and  feebly  said  : 

"  The  exertion  and  excitement  of  the  last  twenty-four 
hours  have  been  too  much  for  me.  My  heart  is  truly 
beating  its  funeral  march  to  the  grave.  I  feel  and  know 
it ;  the  only  work  now  left  for  me  to  do  is  to  sign  that 


392       A    NEW    WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

document  in  the  presence  of  competent  witnesses,  and  I 
shall  be  ready  to  go." 

Mr.  Clifford  counted  the  fluttering  pulse,  administered 
composing  drops,  and  said  : 

"  I  will  put  my  work  away  till  Dr.  Brooke  and  his 
son  can  arrive.  You  must  be  very  quiet  till  then,  and 
I  strongly  advise  the  postponement  of  your  interview 
with  Miss  Coyle  till  you  are  quite  yourself  again.  Now 
that  you  have  had  your  eyes  opened  to  her  treachery, 
there  is  nothing  to  be  feared  by  permitting  her  to  remain 
beneath  your  roof  a  few  days  longer." 

"  I  cannot  see  her  to-day.  I  feel  exhausted,  quite  ; 
and  when  we  do  meet,  I  must  have  electric  force  enough 
to  open  a  pretty  sharp  battery  upon  her.  Send  Mona 
to  me,  Dick ;  she  is  the  only  one  who  knows  what  to  do 
for  me  when  I  am  prostrated  in  this  way." 

Mr.  Clifford  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  asked : 

"Are  you  perfectly  sure  that  Mona's  fidelity  is  incor- 
ruptible ?  Till  lately  I  have  always  believed  so,  but 
something  has  occurred  which  I  own  has  shaken  my 
faith  in  her." 

Mrs.  Adair  sunk  back  with  a  hollow  moan. 

"Oh,  Heavens !  are  you  trying  to  make  me  suspect 
my  own  people  ?  Do  you  know  what  you  are  saying, 
Dick  Clifford?  Are  you  mad,  that  you  impugn  the 
fidelity  of  Mona  ?  She  is  above  suspicion,  I  tell  you. 
I  trust  in  her  as  I  would  in  myself." 

Her  first  agitation  had  returned,  and  Mr.  Clifford  re- 
gretted that  he  had  been  so  imprudent.  He  ministered 
to  her  gently  and  kindly,  and  then  rang  the  bell  for 
Mona ;  when  she  came  in,  he  sharply  studied  her  as  he 
said; 


CLAUDIA     STRIKES     HEE     BLOW.          393 

"  I  will  leave  my  aunt  in  your  care,  Mona,  and  you 
must  not  leave  her  a  moment  till  she  sleeps.  Above  all, 
Miss  Coyle  is  not  to  be  permitted  to  enter  this  room. 
She  has  offended  Mrs.  Adair,  and  the  sight  of  her  might 
agitate  her  too  much.  You  understand  ?" 

"Yes,  sir;  an'  I  thanks  the  Lord  that  my  mistiss's 
eyes  is  opened  at  las'.  I  has  'spected  a  long  time  that 
Miss  Claudy  was  a  snake  in  the  grass.  She  sha'n't  come 
in  here,  sir,  you  may  be  sho  o'  that,  as  long  as  I'm  here 
to  look  arter  things." 

"  She  is  honest,"  thought  the  inquisitor,  "  and  I  think 
I  may  trust  her."  So  he  went  away,  leaving  Mona  in 
charge  of  her  suffering  mistress. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

CLAUDIA   STEIKES   HER   BLOW. 

"OEFORE  the  storm  burst  Jasper  and  Clare  had  at 
JUJ  least  a  few  hours  of  supreme  happiness.  They 
wandered  through  the  grounds,  talking  such  nonsense  as 
lovers  delight  in.  They  did  not  appear  at  lunch,  for 
neither  of  them  cared  for  such  mundane  things  as  bread 
and  butter ;  and  they  were  only  recalled  to  the  remem- 
brance of  the  claims  of  others  by  seeing  Dr.  Brooke  and 
his  son  walking  up  the  avenue  toward  the  house. 

"  Oh,  dear,  I  must  go  in  and  dress  for  dinner,"  said 
Clare.  "  Who  would  have  thought  it  could  be  so  late  ?  " 

Jasper  clasped  her  hand  tenderly. 

"  Time  has  indeed  flown  on  wings  of  light  to-day.     I 


394      A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

have  put  far  away  from  me  every  intruding  thought  of 
care,  though  I  have  at  this  moment  a  sad  presentiment 
that  the  sunshine  of  this  hour  will  soon  be  overclouded. 
Such  happiness  as  ours  is  too  bright  to  last,  my  darling." 

"  Why  do  you  say  that,  Jasper  ?  If  ever  two  beings 
should  be  thankful  and  happy,  it  is  you  and  I.  All 
things  have  indeed  worked  together  for  our  good,  and  I 
think  the  good  God  watches  over  us,  insignificant  as  we 
are." 

"  I  believe  it  indeed,  Clare,  and  to  Him  I  will  trust  to 
brfng  us  safely  through  such  tribulations  as  may  come  to 
us  before  our  future  is  beyond  a  doubt." 

She  raised  her  eyes,  with  sudden  terror  in  them. 

"  What  is  it,  Jasper  ?  what  do  you  apprehend  ?  My 
aunt  may  be  capricious,  but  she  will  hardly  change  her 
mind  about  us  now." 

"It  is  not  that  I  dread,  my  love.  I  will  tell  you  this 
much.  I  believe  a  great  trial  approaches  us,  of  what 
nature  I  cannot  now  explain ;  but  if  you  will  only  have 
courage  and  confidence  in  my  father  and  myself,  I  think 
we  can  extricate  our  bark  from  the  tempest  that  threatens 
to  burst  on  it." 

"  Oh,  Jasper,  from  what  quarter  will  it  come  ?  You 
speak  in  enigmas,  and  my  poor,  cowardly  heart  begins  to 
dread — I  scarcely  know  what." 

"  I  am  sorry  I  spoke  at  all,  Clare,  since  I  see  how  you 
are  affected  by  my  words.  I  only  wished  to  prepare  you 
'for — for  my  aunt's  death,  for  my  father  thinks  it  im- 
possible for  her  to  last  many  days  longer.  What  may 
follow  that  event  God  only  knows." 

Clare  trembled,  and  excitedly  asked  : 

"  Can  the  drops  I  have  given  her  have  hurt  her  in  any 


CLAUDIA    STRIKES     HER     BLOW.         395 

way?  Oh,  Jasper,  I  cannot  tell  you  how  bitterly  I 
regret  my  foolishness.  I  had  every  assurance  that  they 
were  perfectly  harmless." 

Anxious  to  spare  her  as  long  as  he  could  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  critical  position  iii  which  she  stood,  Jasper 
said: 

"  I  am  certain  you  believed  that,  my  darling,  or  you 
would  never  have  used  them.  After  all,  I  may  be  only 
alarming  myself  unnecessarily,  and  my  aunt  may  live  to 
see  us  happily  united.  It  is  only  her  death  I  dread — 
only  her  death,"  he  repeated,  as  if  mechanically. 

"And  can  nothing  be  done  for  her?  Is  she  so  far 
gone  as  to  be  past  all  hope  ?  " 

"  Everything  that  skill  could  accomplish  has  already 
been  done.  Both  Dr.  Brooke  and  my  father,  who  is  a 
well-read  physician,  though  lie  does  not  assume  the  title 
of  one,  have  regularly  attended  her  for  years.  But  for 
them,  she  would  have  been  in  her  grave  long  since." 

"  She  must  live  till  after  we  are  married,  Jasper.  Tell 
your  father  at  all  risks  to  keep  her  alive  that  long,"  said 
Clare,  scarcely  conscious  of  what  she  was  saying.  A  dim 
fear  began  to  penetrate  to  her  mind  that  the  elixir  she 
had  so  innocently  used  had  injured  her  aunt;  and  with 
it  came  such  unspeakable  horror  that  by  the  time  she 
gained  the  side  entrance,  which  communicated  with  both 
of  their  apartments,  she  was  pale  as  death. 

Jasper  held  her  face  up  to  his,  kissed  it  on  lip  and 
brow,  and  more  cheerfully  said : 

"You  must  do  as  I  have  done  to-day,  Clare:  have 
strength  enough  to  put  from  you  all  apprehension  of  what 
to-morrow  may  bring  forth.  We  have  been  supremely 
happy  for  the  last  few  hours,  and  I  have  faith  to  believe 
that  we  will  be  so  again." 


396        A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN     A     FOETUNE 

"Oh,  Jasper,  if  I  thought  those  drops  have  really 
hurt  my  aunt,  I  would  not  care  much  what  became  of 
me!  I  should  be  too  wretched  to  care  for  any- 
thing." 

Jasper  had' pledged  his  word  to  his  father  not  to  betray 
to  any  one  the  result  of  the  analysis  they  had  made  till 
the  proper  time  came  to  do  so,  and  at  this  moment,  when 
he  might  have  been  tempted  to  speak,  Mr.  Clifford  him- 
self came  down  the  lateral  hall  in  which  they  were 
standing.  He  said,  with  a  faint  smile : 

"  I  hope  you  have  made  love  enough  to  each  other  for 
one  day,  my' children.  You  have  barely  time  to  make 
your  toilet,  Clare,  before  dinner  is  served,  and  both  Dr. 
Brooke  and  his  son  are  here.  Have  you  seen  Miss  Coyle 
in  your  wanderings  through  the  grounds  ?  " 

"  We  have  had  eyes  only  for  each  other,"  replied 
Jasper.  "  She  may  have  been  walking  too,  but  we  have 
not  seen  her." 

"  It  is  very  strange.  I  have  been  trying  to  find  her 
for  the  last  two  hours,  as  I  had  something  important  to 
say  to  her,  but  she  is  not  to  be  found." 

"  Oh,  she'll  be  all  right,  and  dressed  as  beautifully  as 
ever,  when  dinner  is  served,"  was  Jasper's  careless  reply, 
and  Clare  effected  her  escape  to  her  own  apartment. 

As  she  passed  Claudia's  door  she  knocked,  and  receiv- 
ing no  reply,  looked  in.  The  room  was  vacant,  but  a 
sheet  of  paper,  which  seemed  to  have  been  wafted  to  the 
floor  by  the  breeze  that  came  freshly  through  the  open 
windows,  fluttered  to  the  feet  of  the  intruder. 

Clare  picked  it  up,  saw  that  it  had  not  been  folded, 
and  mechanically  read  the  lines,  which  were  addressed  to 
herself: 


CLAUDIA     STRIKES     HER     BLOW.          397 

"  CLARE  DESMOND  :  I  am  going  away,  to  stay  till  my 
efforts  to  serve  you  and  your  lover  are  rightly  appreci- 
ated. I  am  aware  that  Mrs.  Adair  is  bitterly  angry 
with  me,  and  I  do  not  choose  to  face  her  displeasure.  A 
scene  between  us  might  be  fatal  to  her,  and  much  as  you 
may  desire  her  death,  I  have  no  interest  in  being  instru- 
mental in  the  furtherance  of  your  plans. 

"Your  Love-Charm  will  soon  accomplish  its  work; 
the  wealth  you  have  coveted  will  be  yours ;  but  beware, 
for  a  Nemesis  is  upon  your  path,  and  the  fair  future  that 
looms  before  you  is  already  overshadowed  by  the  clouds 
of  fate. 

"  When  death  enters  this  house,  as  it  will  ere  long,  I 
will  return  to  its  shelter ;  and  then  you  will  learn  the 
only  terms  on  which  immunity  for  your  crime  will  be 
accorded  you.  The  drops  you  have  administered  to  your 
aunt  were  poisoned,  though  that  can  be  no  news  to  you. 
I  have  visited  your  room  and  taken  possession  of  the 
bottle  containing  them.  I  shall  take  it  away  with  me, 
to  be  used  as  evidence  against  you,  should  you  attempt 
to  turn  on  me,  and  refuse  the  only  compromise  by  which 
your  safety  can  be  insured." 

Half  dazed  with  horror,  Clare  read  the  lines  twice 
over  before  she  could  quite  take  in  all  their  dreadful 
meaning.  Then,  with  a  moan  of  anguish,  she  fell  faint- 
ing to  the  floor  with  the  paper  clutched  in  her  hand,  and 
was  found  there  by  Hebe,  who  came  up  to  see  if  Claudia 
had  gone  back  to  her  room. 

Her  outcries  brought  Jasper  to  her  assistance,  who 
fortunately  secured  the  paper  before  a  group,  collected  by 
the  negro  girl's  wild  cries,  approached  the  room.  He 


398        A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

thrust  it  in  his  pocket,  lifted  the  insensible  girl  in  his 
arms,  and  strode  with  her  to  her  own  apartment,  saying, 
by  way  of  explanation  : 

"  Miss  Desmond  has  not  recovered  from  her  fright  of 
last  evening.  She  has  stayed  too  long  in  the  hot  sun 
walking  with  me  this  morning,  and  this  is  the  result. 
Come  with  me,  Lyra,  and  assist  me  to  bring  her  back  to 
consciousness." 

His  father  and  the  servant  girl  went  into  Clare's  room 
with  him,  and  by  the  united  exertions  of  the  three  she 
presently  revived,  and  looking  wildly  around  her,  cried 
out: 

"Where  is  it?  Where  is  that  dreadful  paper?  Oh, 
I  shall  die !  I  shall  die  if  what  she  says  is  true ! " 

"What  paper?"  asked  Mr.  Clifford.  "I  have  seen 
none,  my  child." 

"  I  had  it — I  found  it  on  the  floor  in  Claudia's  room. 
I — I  read  the  dreadful  words,  and — and  I — " 

Again  she  sunk  into  insensibility,  and  fell  from  one 
fainting  fit  into  another  till  the  violent  shock  she  had 
received  terminated  in  fever  and  delirium.  Jasper  was 
almost  beside  himself  with  terror,  but  his  father  re- 
assured him,  by  declaring  that  youth  and  an  unbroken 
constitution  would  bring  her  through  the  attack  in  a  few 
days. 

The  dinner  that  day  was  scarcely  touched  by  those  for 
whom  it  had  been  set  out.  Jasper  came  down,  and  tried 
to  do  the  honors,  in  the  absence  of  the  ladies  of  the 
family,  but  his  father  remained  beside  Clare  the  greater 
portion  of  the  time  till  the  party  of  gentlemen  were  sum- 
moned to  Mrs.  Adair's  apartment. 

Before  going  to  it,  Jasper  found  means  to  show  his 


CLAUDIA    STRIKES    HER    BLOW.         399 

father  Claudia's  letter,  and  neither  of  them  scrupled  to 
read  it.  Mr.  Clifford  gloomily  said  : 

"  It  is  as  I  supposed.  There  is  some  deep-laid  scheme 
of  villany  to  be  developed  by  that  wretched  woman  and 
her  accomplice.  I  have  been  working  to  defeat  them, 
and  I  will  do  it  yet,  or  perish  in  the  attempt.  I  wish 
now  that  I  had  prepared  that  poor  child  for  the  blow, 
and  told  her  all  that  we  know.  She  is  in  no  condition 
now  to  understand  what  is  said  to  her,  but  if  any  proof 
of  her  innocence  were  wanting,  it  has  been  supplied  by 
the  vivid  horror  expressed  in  her  face  when  she  referred 
to  that  letter.  It  was  a  cruel,  cruel  blow  to  strike,  but 
it  was  worthy  of  Claudia  Coyle.  The  wretched  viper ! 
She  shall  yet  perish  through  her  own  venom,  if  I  can 
only  follow  her  up  through  all  her  sinuous  windings." 

"  Where  can  Miss  Coyle  have  gone  ?  I  hardly  think 
she  has  left  the  neighborhood/'  said  Jasper. 

"  No ;  she  has  doubtless  taken  refuge  with  the  man  I 
have  seen  her  walking  with  at  night  more  than  once 
lately.  I  have  been  near  enough  to  them  to  hear  their 
voices  distinctly,  but  they  spoke  in  French,  and  I  could 
only  understand  a  word  here  and  there.  I  should,  per- 
haps, have  told  Mrs.  Adair  at  once,  but  I  am  so  much 
afraid  of  exciting  her,  that  I  forbore,  thinking  that  I 
could  defeat  Claudia  in  the  end." 

"  We  will — we  must  do  that,  father.  But  we  must  go 
now,  or  my  aunt  will  become  impatient." 

"  Yes,  we  will  go  to  her,  for  it  is  not  safe  to  excite  her 
in  the  least  degree.  Her  condition  is  very  critical,  and 
her  death  just  at  this  crisis  would  be  a  terrible  thing  for 
Clare." 

The  father  and  son  joined  the  other  gentlemen  and 


400      A     NEW     WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

went  with  them  to  Mrs.  Adair's  room.  She  had  slept 
several  hours  since  her  attack  in  the  morning,  and  looked 
cheerful  and  well  pleased  to  see  her  old  friend  and  his 
son. 

"With  a  smile,  she  said  : 

"  The  last  act  in  the  tragi-comedy  of  life  is  about  to  be 
consummated,  doctor.  My  will  is  made,  and  I  wish  you 
to  witness  it.  After  it  is  duly  signed  and  sealed,  all 
that  remains  to  me  is  to  make  my  peace  with  Heaven, 
and  lay  down  the  ( mortal  coil,'  which  of  late  years  has 
been  more  of  an  incurnbrance  than  anything  else  to 
me." 

The  old  man  pressed  her  hand  tenderly,  and  gently 
said: 

"  It  is  appointed  unto  all  of  us  to  die,  but  making  a 
will  is  no  evidence  that  your  time  is  near,  my  dear 
madam.  I  came  at  your  bidding;  but  now  that  I  am 
here,  you  must  not  bring  up  such  lugubrious  fancies  for 
my  entertainment.  Jam  not  thinking  of  dying,  I  assure 
you,  and  you  are  not  so  much  older  than  myself." 

"The  warning  is  here"  replied  Mrs.  Adair,  placing 
her  hand  significantly  upon  her  left  side.  "  But  we  will 
let  that  pass,  as  I  have  found  that  talking  of  one's  ail- 
ments only  seems  to  intensify  them.  Bring  up  the  table, 
Dick.  I  have  added  a  codicil  to  my  will,  which  is  not 
to  be  read  till  after  my  death.  You  see  I  have  not  lost 
my  taste  for  dramatic  effect,  and  I  have  prepared  a  sur- 
prise for  you  when  the  instrument  is  read." 

Mr.  Clifford  earnestly  regarded  her,  but  she  replied  to 
his  questioning  glance  by  saying,  with  a  laugh  : 

"You  will  be  as  much  surprised  as  any  one,  Dick;  but 
I  am  not  going  to  give  you  a  hint  of  what  the  codicil 


CLAUDIA     STRIKES     HER     BLOW.         401 

contains.  I  have  folded  the  paper  in  such  a  way  that  no 
glimpse  is  to  be  obtained  of  my  writing,  and  all  you 
have  to  do  is  to  sign  your  names.  Be  patient,  friends ; 
it  will  not  be  long  before  the  little  mystery  I  have 
chosen  to  throw  around  my  last  will  and  testament  will 
be  made  clear  to  you." 

She  held  out  her  hand  for  the  paper,  placed  it  carefully 
on  her  open  portfolio,  wrote  her  own  signature,  and 
watched  the  signers  as  they  traced  their  names  on  the 
few  inches  of  space  left  for  that  purpose. 

Mrs.  Adair  then  folded  and  sealed  it  herself,  impress- 
ing on  the  wax  a  seal  she  ordinarily  used,  on  which  was 
a  ship  tossing  on  a  stormy  sea,  with  the  motto,  "  Such  is 
life." 

She  smiled  faintly  as  she  read  it,  and  said : 

"My  storms  have  chiefly  been  mental  ones,  but  I 
sometimes  think  they  are  harder  to  bear  than  the  evils 
of  adversity.  I  could  more  easily  have  struggled  with 
the  world,  than  have  borne,  in  the  silence  of  my  own 
heart,  the  griefs  and  disappointments  which  have  assailed 
me.  Ah  !  life  is  a  sad,  sad  puzzle,  and  now  that  I  have 
reached  its  utmost  verge,  I  can  but  look  back  and  think  of 
the  words  of  Job,  that  '  man  ' — and  in  a  greater  degree 
woman — '  is  born  to  trouble,  as  the  sparks  fly  upward.' " 

"  True,"  said  Dr.  Brooke,  sighing  heavily,  "  and  the 
older  men  get,  the  greater  fools  they  are  sometimes. 
They  often  deserve  the  troubles  they  bring  upon  them- 
selves through  their  own  folly." 

Mrs.  Adair  glanced  shrewdly  at  him. 

"  What  has  happened  to  you,  doctor  ?     Yesterday  I 
thought  you  in  the  seventh  heaven  of  bliss,  and  if  you 
Avill  excuse  my  frankness,  of  senile  imbecility." 
25 


402       A    NEW     WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

The  old  gentleman  colored  and  looked  abashed. 

He  gravely  replied: 

"I  know  now  that  I  have  been  acting  under  a  delu- 
sion, madam.  You  do  not  believe  in  such  things,  I  am 
aware,  but  I  had  a  revelation  last  night  from  one  who 
has  been  the  guard  and  guide  of  my  life  since  she  left  me 
to  dwell  among  the  angels.  For  the  first  time  she  has 
been  inconsistent,  and  I  have  been  misled  by  what  I 
supposed  to  be  her  wishes." 

"  Oh !  then  you  have  been  stopped  in  your  headlong 
career  toward  strife  and  wretchedness  during  the  remnant 
of  your  life.  'All  is  well  that  ends  well/  "  said  the  old 
lady,  graciously.  "  I  congratulate  you  far  more  heartily 
on  your  return  to  your  old  allegiance,  than  I  did  yester- 
day on  your  new  engagement ;  yet  the  disappointment  to 
the  fair  widow  must  have  been  a  severe  one." 

"  You  mean  as  regards  the  material  advantages  of  an 
alliance  with  a  man  of  ample  fortune.  I  have  regained 
my  sober  senses,  Mrs.  Adair,  and  I  can  now  see  that  in 
myself  there  can  be  but  little  to  attract  so  brilliant  and 
charming  a  woman  as  Mrs.  Harte.  I  intend  to  do  by 
her  what  I  think  is  right  and  honorable,  and  I  shall 
settle  on  her  a  certain  annual  sum,  which  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  compensate  her  for  such  disappointment  as  she 
may  feel." 

"And  prevent  a  suit  for  breach  of  marriage  promise," 
whispered  Walter  Brooke  to  Jasper.  "The  widow's  a 
humbug,  but  the  old  man  believes  in  her,  and  my  sister 
and  I  are  more  than  willing  to  give  up  a  few  hundreds 
a  year  to  be  quit  of  her." 

Mrs.  Adair  here  said  : 

"  I  hope  this  change  in  your  plans  will  make  no  dif- 


CLAUDIA     STRIKES     HER     BLOW.         403 

ference  to  Judith.  You  will  not  withdraw  your  consent 
to  her  marriage  with  Mr.  Bowden  ?  " 

The  doctor  rather  ruefully  replied : 

"  I  have  given  my  word,  and  an  honorable  man  never 
withdraws  that ;  but  it  will  be  a  dreadful  inconvenience 
to  me  to  have  no  lady  to  manage  my  house.  Walter 
must  be  looking  out  for  a  wife,  I  suppose,  and  if  he  had 
been  fortunate  enough  to  find  one  in  that  sweet  little 
niece  of  yours,  I  could  have  contented  myself  without 
Judith.  But  that  is  quite  out  of  the  question  now,  I 
suppose." 

"Quite,"  replied  Mrs.  Adair,  rather  stiffly.  "Clare 
is  betrothed,  with  my  full  consent,  to  my  nephew,  Jasper 
Clifford,  and  their  marriage  will  take  place  without  any 
unnecessary  delay." 

"Then  I  am  to  congratulate  you,  my  boy,"  said 
Walter  to  his  successful  rival,  as  graciously  as  he  could. 
"  I  thought  it  would  be  so,  from  what  I  saw  yesterday." 

Jasper  only  bowed  in  reply,  and  Mrs.  Adair  suddenly 
asked : 

"  What  has  become  of  Clare  ?  I  have  not  seen  her 
since  that  important  interview  this  morning." 

"  She  is  lying  down,  aunt,"  Mr.  Clifford  hastened  to 
say.  "  The  fright  of  last  evening,  and  the  excitement 
of  this  morning,  have  been  too  much  for  her.  I  have 
been  up  to  see  her,  and  I  think  she  will  soon  be  better, 
though  she  is  not  well  enough  to  visit  you  this  evening." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that :  I  wanted  her  to  talk  to  me, 
and  to  read  me  to  sleep,  as  Claudia  often  does ;  for  she 
will  not  be  allowed  to  approach  me  again  till  I  summon 
her  to  dismiss  her  from  this  house." 

The  gentlemen  looked  at  each  other,  for  they  all  were 


404       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE 

aware  of  Miss  Coyle's  sudden  disappearance,  though  it 
had  been  thought  advisable  to  keep  Mrs.  Adair  in 
ignorance  of  her  evasion. 

Mr.  Clifford  dryly  said : 

"  Miss  Coyle  will  make  no  effort  to  intrude  on  you, 
aunt.  She  knows  how  deeply  you  are  displeased  with 
her,  and  she  accepts  her  exile  with  resignation.  I  think 
we  had  better  leave  you  now,  for  you  are  beginning  to 
look  weary." 

"Yes — you  may  go.  I  am  not  good  for  much  any 
longer,  and  little  effort  tires  me.  Good-by,  doctor. 
Come  and  shake  hands  with  me,  for  of  late  I  always  feel, 
in  parting  from  a  friend,  that  it  may  be  for  the  last 
time." 

"  You  must  not  have  such  melancholy  fancies,"  was 
the  reply ;  but  Dr.  Brooke  took  both  of  her  hands  in 
his,  and  the  two  looked  each  other  in  the  eyes  with  that 
sad  and  pathetic  expression  which  seemed  to  say,  "Adieu 
till  we  meet  in  a  better  land." 

He  pressed  his  lips  to  her  hands,  and  tears  were  in  his 
eyes  as  he  turned  away,  for  his  professional  eye  saw  that 
in  her  face  which  led  him  to  believe  that  her  premonitions 
of  a  speedy  end  were  all  too  true.  The  grotesque  and 
the  sad  always  lie  side  by  side  in  life ;  and  we  turn  from 
the  shaded  chamber  of  the  doomed  lady  to  the  doings  of 
Phoebe  Simpson. 

She  had  taken  Walter  into  her  confidence,  and  con- 
fessed to  him  that  a  practical  joke  of  hers  had  led  to  the 
engagement  between  Mrs.  Harte  and  his  father.  He 
was  only  too  eager  to  aid  her  in  repairing  the  mischief 
she  had  done,  if  that  was  possible  now.  Relying  on 
Claudia  Coyle's  assurances  that  the  widow  would  quietly 


CLAUDIA    STBIKES     HEE    BLOW.         405 

withdraw,  Phoebe  induced  Walter  to  ride  over  to  her 
father's,  and  bring  back  with  him  the  bust  of  his  mother, 
which  was  an  exact  copy  of  the  one  she  had  so  recklessly 
destroyed. 

As  before,  she  entered  Dr.  Brooke's  room  after  lie  had 
fallen  asleep,  wrapped  in  a  white  shawl,  with  an  ingeni- 
ously contrived  mask  upon  her  face,  and  around  her  head 
a  circle  of  paper  covered  with  phosphorus,  designed  to 
represent  a  halo. 

She  placed  the  bust  in  its  usual  place  upon  the  pillow, 
and  Walter,  beneath  the  open  window,  swept  all  the 
chords  of  a  guitar  with  so  strong  a  hand  that  the  old 
gentleman  was  startled  from  his  light  slumbers,  and 
started  up  in  his  peaked  night-cap,  exclaiming : 

"Ha!  are  those  strains  from  the  mystic  realms  of 
spirit-land?  What  do  I  see?  An  angel  miuistrant 
from  realms  of  blessedness.  Hast  thou  come  back  to  me, 
angel  of  my  desolated  life,  or  am  I  dreaming  ?  " 

In  a  faint,  carefully  modulated  whisper,  Phoebe 
breathed,  rather  than  spoke,  a  few  words,  to  which  the 
deluded  old  man  listened  as  to  an  oracle. 

"  It  is  no  dream.  I  am  permitted  to  return  to  you, 
to  resume  our  communion,  and  Aspasia  must  be  banished 
from  your  heart  and  life." 

He  made  an  effort  to  touch  her,  but  Phoebe  recoiled 
from  the  side  of  his  couch,  and  in  doing  so,  gave  a 
sudden  impulse  to  the  bust,  which  rolled  down  and 
struck  him  on  the  breast.  As  she  gained  the  door  she 
paused,  and  still  in  that  unearthly  whisper,  said : 

"My  image  has  been  miraculously  renewed.  Clasp 
that  to  your  hearta  and  never  more  think  of  giving  me  a 
rival." 


.* 


406       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  Dr.  Brooke  implicitly 
believed  in  the  reality  of  this  scene,  and  in  the  morning 
he  acted  on  it.  He  spoke  frankly  to  Mr&  Harte,  and 
offered  her  such  compensation  for  her  disappointment  as 
she  was  very  glad  to  accept,  in  lieu  of  the  hand  she  had 
known  from  the  previous  evening  would  never  be  hers. 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

DEATH    ENTERS    RIVERDALE. 

TV  /TRS.  ADAIR  retired  in  her  usual  health,  but  Mona 
-LVJ-  was  told  by  Mr.  Clifford  to  make  her  bed  in  the 
dressing-room,  lest  her  mistress  might  need  her  in  the 
night.  Why  he  was  so  uneasy  he  could  himself  scarcely 
have  explained,  but  that  premonition  of  impending  evil 
which  comes  with  subtle  power  to  persons  of  sensitive 
organization,  warned  him  that  the  very  hours  of  the 
invalid  were  numbered. 

"With  a  sad  heart  he  went  tip  to  "Clare's  apartment,  to 
find  her  still  delirious,  and  incapable  of  comprehending 
the  sense  of  the  words  he  whispered  in  her  ear,  in  the 
hope  that  they  might  afford  her  comfort  and  courage  for 
the  trial  that  he  felt  assured  awaited  her. 

Lyra  watched  beside  vher,  and  for  a  marvel,  for  one  of 
her  race,  kept  her  eyes  open,,  and  administered  the  medi- 
cine at  regular  intervals.  Mr.  Clifford  came  up  more 
than  once  during  the  night,  that  he  might  see  how  Clare 
was  getting  on,  and  report  her  condition  to  Jasper.  He, 
poor  fellow,  threw  himself  on  a  sofa  dressed  as  he-  was, 


DEATH     ENTERS     HI  VERB  ALE.  407 

and  throughout  the  long  hours  of  that  seemingly  endless 
night,  he  scarcely  slept  at  all. 

More  than  once  Mr.  Clifford  went  to  Mrs.  Adair's 
door  and  listened,  but  all  seemed  still  within,  and  he 
retired  reassured,  unconscious  that  the  angel  of  death 
had  already  entered  the  portal  and  done  his  work. 

At  dawn  Clare  lay  sleeping  heavily,  stupefied  by  the 
narcotic  she  had  taken,  and  the  weary  hours  passed  on 
till  ten  o'clock,  Mrs.  Adair's  usual  time  for  rising. 
Mona  had  flitted  about  her  room  arranging  things  as 
usual,  and  more  than  once  had  been  struck  with,  the 
immobility  of  the  old  lady's  attitude,  but  she  did  not 
dare  risk  arousing  her  by  approaching  too  nearly ;  for 
one  of  Mrs.  Adair's  fancies  had  been,  that  if  any  one 
looked  steadily  into  a  sleeper's  face,  the  electric  power  of 
that  glance  would  arouse  the  dormant  soul  from  the 
deepest  slumber.  She  lay  turned  slightly  on  one  side, 
with  her  face  partially  hidden  from  view,  and  her  hands 
clasped  over  her  heart,  as  if  to  still  its  too  rapid  pulsa- 
tions. 

Mona  thought  she  slept  unusually  late,  but  no  suspi- 
cion of  the  truth  was  aroused  till  she  accidentally  dropped 
upon  the  floor  a  book  she  was  dusting ;  she  turned  in 
affright  to  the  bed,  expecting  to  receive  a  reproof  for  her 
awkward  ness. 

When  there  was  no  movement,  not  even  a  quiver  of 
the  folded  hands,  she  became  alarmed,  and  reckless  of 
jBBnseqncnces,  rushed  to  the  bedside,  apd  placed  her  hand 
lipoh  those  of  her  mistress. 

Tlie  icy  chill  of  those  slender  fingers  told  her  that  all 
their  earthly  work  was  done,  and  with  a  wild  cry,  Mona 
rushed  from  the  chamber  of  death,  and  met  Mr.  Clifford 


408       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

coming  again  to  ascertain  how  Mrs.  Adair  had  passed 
the  night. 

In  the  dim  light  of  the  corridor  he  had  but  an  imper- 
fect view  of  the  woman's  face,  but  he  intuitively  knew 
what  had  happened.  With  effort,  he  asked  : 

"  What  is  it,  Mona  ?   Why  are  you  so  much  alarmed  ?  " 

"  Oh,  sir ! — oh,  Mr.  Clifford,  she's  gone — gone  away 
in  the  darkness,  with  nobody  anigh  of  her.  Oh  !  my 
poor  ole  mistis  !  my  poor  ole  mistis  !  " 

"  Hush !  you  must  not  .raise  an  alarm,  for  Clare  is 
very  ill,  and  she  must  know  nothing  of  this.  Come 
back  with  me  to  Mrs.  Adair's  room.  You  may  have 
been  mistaken." 

"  Oh  !  I  wish  I  was — I  wish  I  was ;  but  she's  cold 
an'  stiff,  a  lyin'  there  like  a  stone  woman.  I  teched  her, 
an'  then  I  knowed  'twas  all  over  with  her;  my  poor  ole 
mistis  !  She  was  quick-like,  Marse  Dick ;  but  she  was 
good  to  me,  for  all  that." 

While  Mona  talked  thus  in  the  fulness  of  her  heart, 
Mr.  Clifford  made  rapid  strides  toward  the  open  door  of 
Mrs.  Adair's  apartment,  and  in  a  few  moments  stood 
beside  the  still  form  on  whose  life  for  a  few  weeks,  or 
even  days,  so  much  depended. 

A  rapid  glance  showed  him  that  all  was  over — that 
she  had  passed  away  in  a  tranquil  sleep,  and  that  several 
hours  had  probably  elapsed  since  the  spirit  left  its  tene- 
ment of  clay.  He  reverently  closed  the  e'yes,  and  then 
kneeling  beside  the  bed,  prayed  a  few  moments  for  the 
repose  of  the  departed  soul,  and  also  for  guidance  in  the 
difficult  path  this  sudden  death  had  opened  before 
himself. 

Then  giving  Mona  such  orders  as  Avere  needed,  Mr. 


DEATH  ENTERS  BIVERDALE.     409 

Clifford  went  in  search  of  Jasper,  to  tell  him  what  had 
occurred,  and  to  send  him  for  Dr.  Brooke,  that  the  two 
might  make  a  post-mortem  examination  and  ascertain  the 
cause  of  Mrs.  Adair's  sudden  death.  He  had  no  doubts 
himself,  for  she  had  suffered  from  aneurism  of  the  heart, 
and  he  had  long  known  that  death  might  strike  her  at 
any  moment.  But  it  was  necessary,  for  Clare's  sake,  to 
have  the  cause  of  her  death  ascertained  beyond  dispute ; 
and  as  Dr.  Brooke  was  a  skilful  surgeon,  and  he  him- 
self quite  able  to  act  as  an  assistant,  the  examination 
could  be  made  without  any  unnecessary  publicity,  and. its 
results  used  in  defence  of  the  hapless  girl  on  whom  it  was 
evident  Claudia  Coyle  and  her  accomplice  meant  to  fix 
the  charge  of  murder.  The  full  turpitude  of  their 
designs  Mr.  Clifford  could  not  fathom,  but  he  supposed 
they  intended  to  extort  a  heavy  ransom  from  Clare,  to 
save  her  from  the  accusation  they  would  otherwise  bring 
against  her. 

He  found  Jasper,  looking  pale  and  heavy-eyed^  walk- 
ing to  and  fro  beneath  the  windows  of  Clare's  apartment. 
When  he  saw  his  father's  face  he  knew  that  something 
dreadful  had  happened,  and  he,  who  could  think  only  of 
Clare  and  her  danger,  hoarsely  exclaimed : 

"  She  is  dead  !     And  you  have  come  to  tell  me." 

His  father  understood  him,  and  drawing  him  from  the 
vicinity  of  Clare's  room,  hastened  to  say : 

"  Clare  is  sleeping,  and  I  hope  the  best  for  her,  now 
that  the  delirium  is  quieted.  Death  has  entered  the 
house,  but  his  dart  was  not  levelled  at  her,  Jasper." 

For  a  moment  the  young  man  gazed  silently  in  his 
face,  and  then  said,  with  repressed  excitement : 

"  My  aunt  was  his  victim,  and  she — my  darling,  my 


410      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

darling — is  in  danger  from  this  sudden  event.  Those 
wretches  will  act  promptly  now,  and  we  shall  not  have 
time  to  save  her  from  the  toils  they  have  spread  for  her. 
Oh,  father !  my  heart  will  break,  as  will  that  of  Clare, 
if  this  villany  is  not  cleared  up,  and  its  authors  pun- 
ished." 

"My  son,  I  will  use  every  effort  to  bring  the  truth  to 
light.  A  nefarious  plot  has  been  concocted,  but  we  hold 
some  of  the  threads  of  it  in  our  hands,  and  they  will 
serve  as  a  clue  to  the  rest.  Go  now  without  delay  for 
Dr.  Brooke,  and  be  sure  that  he  brings  with  him  his 
case  of  surgical  instruments.  We  must  ascertain  the 
immediate  cause  of  Mrs.  Adair's  death ;  though  I  have 
no  doubts  myself,  we  must  be  in  a  position  to  satisfy 
those  of  others.  When  that  is  accomplished,  the  old  lady 
must  be. placed  in  the  family  vault  without  unnecessary 
delay,  and  I  will  hasten  to  Portsmouth  to  see  Mr.  Des- 
mond, and  obtain  his  assistance  in  clearing  up  the 
villany  that  has  been  so  cleverly  concocted.  That  John 
Spiers  is  at  the  bottom  of  it  I  cannot  help  believing, 
though  Mr.  Desmond  wrote  to  me  that  his  daughter  had 
nothing  to  fear  from  him,  as  he  had  gone  to  South 
America,  and  would  probably  not  return.  Do  you  think 
it  possible  that  he  and  Claudia  Coyle  can  be  in  league 
with  each  other  ?  " 

A  sudden  conviction  that  it  was  so  flashed  on  Jasper's 
mind. 

"  I  believe  he  is.  His  pretended  departure  w^is  only  a 
ruse  to  put  us  all  off  guard.  He  is  the  man  you  have 
seen  in  the  grounds  at  night  with  Claudia,  I  feel  sure, 
and  if  you  can  unearth  him,  you  will  find  the  true 
criminal." 


DEATH  ENTERS  RIVERDALE.     411 

"But  where  can  they  have  met?  Besides,  he  pre- 
tended to  be  desperately  in  love  with  Clare;  and  the 
person  I  have  seen  is  evidently  Miss  Coyle's  lover." 

"  His  passion  for  Clare  was  feigned,  and  for  some  pur- 
pose that  we  have  yet  to  fathom.  As  to  where  he  and 
Claudia  have  met,  in  her  wandering  life  she  may  have 
encountered  him  many  times.  'Like  seeks  like/  and 
they  are  congenial  spirits." 

After  a  brief  pause,  Mr.  Clifford  said  : 

"  You  may  be  right,  Jasper.  At  any  rate,  I  shall  get 
away  at  the  first  opportunity,  and  seek  for  such  traces  of 
John  Spiers  as  can  be  found.  The  nurse  who  obtained 
that  liquid,  and  imposed  it  on  her  young  lady  as  a  love- 
charm,  must  be  rigidly  examined,  and  also  the  old  witch 
who  concocted  it.  Never  fear,  Jasper;  I  will  find  out 
the  truth  yet,  and  extricate  your  betrothed  from  the 
dangerous  position  she  is  in,  by  fixing  the  guilt  on  the 
true  criminal." 

"I  trust  so,"  replied  Jasper,  gloomily,  "for  I  feel 
to-day  as  if  the  blackness  of  darkness  is  settling  around 
her  fate  and  my  own." 

"  Hope  for  the  best,  my  son  ;  and  now  set  out  at-  once 
for  Brookover.  By  the  time  you  get  back  with  the 
doctor,  everything  will  be  in  readiness  for  the  examina- 
tion, which  will  set  at  rest  all  conjectures  as  to  the  cause 
of  the  old  lady's  death.  That  is  the  first  thing  to  be 
attended  to." 

Jasper  went  to  summon  the  boatman,  and  his  father 
ascended  to  Clare's  apartment,  to  find  her  lying  like  one 
in  a  trance,  with  half-closed  eyes  and  parted  lips.  Her 
pulse  was  irregular,  though  the  fever  had  subsided  as 
rapidly  as  it  had  arisen,  and  Mr.  Clifford  saw  no  reason 


412       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

to  apprehend  danger  to  her  physical  health,  unless  the 
mind  was  allowed  to  act  again,  and  take  in  all  the  horror 
of  her  position  while  this  dark  cloud  hung  over  her 
fate. 

"  She  is  too  sensitive  to  bear  it/'  he  thought,  "  and  the 
only  salvation  for  her  reason  is,  to  keep  her  under  the 
influence  of  narcotics  till  the  danger  is  past.  Her  nervous 
system  has  received  so  great  a  shock  that  she  will  die 
under  the  fluctuations  of  dread  and  suspense,  before  the 
truth  can  be  found  out  and  the  true  criminal  found.  I 
will  take  the  responsibility,  Clare,  and  keep  you  from 
knowing  what  is  going  on  around  you  till  it  will  be  safe 
to  arouse  you  from  your  lethargy." 

Thus  thinking,  he  prepared  a  draught  to  be  given  at 
stated  intervals,  which  was  designed  to  act  upon  the 
brain  alone;  and  giving  the  whimpering  Lyra  strict 
injunctions  as  to  its  administration,  he  went  down  again 
to  see  if  his  orders  to  Mona  had  been  fulfilled. 

An  hour  had  passed  since  he  left  Mrs.  Adair's  room  • 
and  Mona,  with  the  assistance  of  two  old  crones  she  had 
summoned  from  the  quarters  for  that  purpose,  had 
already  made  the  toilet  of  the  dead. 

On  a  wide  sofa,  covered  with  a  linen  sheet,  lay  the 
small,  shrunken  form,  clad  in  loose,  flowing  robes,  daintily 
embroidered,  which  Mrs.  Adair  had  had  prepared  for 
this  use  when  her  health  first  began  to  fail  her. 

She  was  a  philosopher  in  her  small  way,  and  a  believer 
in  the  truths  of  the  Christian  revelation,  though  by  no 
means  inclined  to  yield  assent  to  the  dogmatic  teachings 
of  many  of  its  expounders.  Death  she  regarded  not  as 
the  enemy,  but  the  friend  of  man — not  as  a  conqueror, 
but  as  a  deliverer.  He  had  come  while  she  slept,  and 


DEATH  ENTERS  RIVERDALE.     413 

had  borne  away  the  spirit  to  meet  its  award,  apparently 
without  a  struggle. 

Her  face  was  ineffably  serene,  and  much  of  its  youth- 
ful beauty  had  returned  to  it  in  those  hours  of  pulseless 
repose.  Angel  fingers  seemed  to  have  smoothed  out  the 
lines  left  by  care  and  suffering,  and  a  calm  smile  rested 
on  her  lips. 

She  had  been  a  worldly  wt>man,  and  in  some  respects 
a  hard  one ;  but  as  Mr.  Clifford  looked  down  on  her,  he 
felt  that  her  faults  had  grown  out  of  her  surroundings, 
and  the  great  Judge  would  know  how  to  sift  out  the 
good  from  the  evil,  and  mercy  would  preponderate  when 
her  small  sins  were  weighed  against  her  long  life  of 
probity,  and  her  desire  to  do  right  in  the  sphere  that  had 
been  awarded  her. 

He  sat  beside  the  couch,  and  read  over  the  prayers  for 
the  dead,  trying  to  fix  his  mind  entirely  upon  them,  and 
to  shut  out  for  a  brief  space  all  thoughts  of  the  living, 
for  whom  this  sudden  death  might  have  such  fearful  con- 
sequences. 

Dr.  Brooke  came  as  speedily  as  possible ;  and  at  first 
he  was  so  tremulous  over  the  shock  he  had  received,  that 
the  stronger  man  feared  he  would  not  have  the  requisite 
composure  for  the  examination  he  was  so  desirous  of 
having  made. 

When  he  became  more  composed,  the  old  man  said : 

"Jasper  insisted  that  I  should  bring  with  me  my 
surgical  instruments,  and  said  that  you  would  explain 
why  it  was  necessary  to  use  them.  Surely,  Clifford, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  cause  of  Mrs.  Adair's 
death.  We  both  know  that  she  has  suffered  from 
aneurism  of  the  heart,  and  was  liable  to  drop  off  at  any 
moment." 


414      A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN     A    FOKTUNE. 

Mona  still  lingered  in  the  room,  and  glancing  toward 
her,  Mr.  Clifford  replied  in  a  low  tone : 

"  That  is  very  true,  doctor ;  but  if  you  will  come  with 
me  into  the  dressing-room,  I  will  explain  my  reasons  for 
wishing  to  ascertain  precisely  what  was  the  cause  of  Mrs. 
Adair's  death.  It  is  of  vital  importance  to  one  person, 
at  least,  that  it  shall  be  established  beyond  doubt  that 
her  decease  was  brought  about  by  natural  causes." 

Dr.  Brooke  looked  surprised,  but  he  followed  him  into 
the  tower  room,  and  they  talked  together  there  for  half 
an  hour,  leaving  Mona  to  watch  beside  the  corpse  of  lu-r 
mistress. 

While  they  were  gone,  Jasper  came  in,  bringing  with 
him  the  case  of  instruments.  He  put  them  on  the  tabk-, 
and  then  took  a  seat  beside  the  sofa,  looking  down  with 
moistened  eyes  on  the  calm  face  which  had  sometimes 
frowned  heavily  upon  him,  but  which  had  also  often 
smiled,  and  in  his  heart  he  blessed  her  for  the  happi- 
ness he  believed  she  had  assured  to  him  on  the  previous 
day. 

Mona  drew  near  him,  and  tearfully  said  : 

"  She  was  a  good  mistis  to  me,  Marse  Jasper,  if  she 
was  fractious,  an'  hard  to  manage  sometimes.  I  shill 
miss  her,  an'  ef  'twa'n't  that  Miss  Clare  will  come  after 
her,  I'd  be  a  grievin'  even  wuss  than  I  is." 

Jasper  started  at  Clare's  name,  and  a  cloud  came  over 
his  face.  His  heart  was  aching  heavily,  and  he  could 
only  say  in  reply : 

"  I  think  your  new  mistress  will  be  as  kind  to  you, 
Mona,  as  your  old  one  was.  That  is,  if  she  lives  to  enjoy 
the  fortune  that  will  now  fall  to  her." 

"  Don't  you  be  down-hearted,  Marse  Jasper.      It's 


DEATH  ENTEES  RIVEEDALE.     415 

only  a  little  spell  o'  fever  Miss  Clare  has  got,  but  she'll 
be  all  right  afore  long.  I  has  seed  how  things  was  goin', 
an'  we'll  have  a  good  master  in  you,  as  well  as  a  good 
mistis  in  her.  The  blessed  Lord  knows  what  is  right 
an'  good  for  them  what  trusts  in  him,  an'  he'll  bring  it 
about  yit." 

Jasper  was  deeply  touched,  and  a  little  comforted  by 
the  faith  of  this  humble  slave  woman,  that  all  would 
come  out  for  the  best,  and  he  grasped  her  hand  as  he 
hoarsely  said : 

"  I  trust  in  God  that  you  may  prove  a  true  prophet, 
Mona ;  but  to-day  I  can  see  little  that  is  bright  before 
me." 

"That  is  nat'ral,  Marse  Jasper.  When  death  is  in 
the  house,  we  can't  feel  as  ef  we've  got  anything  to  do 
but  git  ready  to  die  ourselves ;  but  we  gits  over  that,  an' 
the  sun  shines  as  bright  arter  a  while  as  it  did  afore. 
The  clouds  always  passes  away,  you  know,  let  'em  be 
ever  so  black." 

Before  Jasper  could  reply  to  this  homely  comforter, 
the  curtain  before  the  door  of  the  dressing-room  was 
lifted,  and  the  two  gentlemen  came  in — Dr.  Brooke 
looking  very  pale,  but  evidently  bracing  himself  with 
stern  resolve  to  the  repulsive  task  that  lay  before  him. 

Mona  was  ordered  to  bring  wine,  as  Mr.  Clifford  saw 
that  the  old  surgeon  would  need  stimulating  before  he 
attempted  to  perform  the  duty  required  of  him. 

In  her  absence  their  preparations  were  made,  and  she 
stared  in  open-eyed  horror  when  she  saw  her  beloved 
mistress  lying  on  a  table,  with  an  array  of  shining  steel 
instruments  placed  upon  another.  When  she  uttered  a 
little  cry  Mr.  Clifford  sternly,  but  kindly,  said : 


416        A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"We  can  have  none  of  that,  Mona.  You  must  be 
brave  and  silent,  for  what  we  are  going  to  do  is  abso- 
lutely necessary.  Shut  the  door,  and  lock  it.  Bring 
towels  and  water,  and  then  retreat  to  the  dressing-room 
till  we  have  completed  the  examination  we  design 
making." 

Accustomed  to  obey,  Mona  went,  shaking  in  every 
limb,  to  perform  the  service  required  of  her,  and  then 
cowered  down  in  the  dressing-room,  stopping  her  ears 
with  her  fingers,  as  if  she  expected  to  hear  her  old  mis- 
tress cry  out  under  the  torture  of  the  knife. 

The  result  of  the  post-mortem  examination  was  given 
to  Jasper  as  it  proceeded,  and  carefully  noted  down  by 
him ;  this  was  afterward  read  over  and  certified  by  the 
two  chief  actors  in  the  scene. 

Great  care  had  been  taken  not  to  soil  the  garments  of 
the  deceased,  and  when  Mona  was  summoned  to  the  room 
again  she  was  surprised  to  find  the  body  of  her  mistress 
lying  calmly  and  decorously  on  the  sofa,  with  no  visible 
trace  of  what  had  been  done. 

Mr.  Clifford  said  to  her : 

"You  see,  Mona,  it  was  not  so  dreadful,  after  all, 
though  I  admit  it  was  a  great  trial  to  have  to  do  it.  It 
was  necessary  though,  and  none  of  us  must  shrink  from 
an  imperative  duty.  I  know  that  you  are  to  be  trusted, 
and  not  a  word  of  what  has  taken  place  here  must  be 
spoken  of  to  any  one — mind  you,  to  any  one — till  I  give 
you  leave  to  speak.  You  must  prove,  for  once,  that  a 
woman  can  keep  a  secret." 

"'Deed,  Marse  Dick,  I  don't  want  to  talk  'bout 
nothin'  so  dreflle.  It  makes  me  creep  all  over  jest  to 
think  on  it,  and  I  knows  better'u  to  tell  what  white 
folks  wants  kep'  dark." 


DEATH  ENTERS  EIVEEDALE.     417 

"  Very  well ;  see  that  you  arevdiscreet,  and  it  will  be 
none  the  worse  for  you.  I  have  some  good  news  for  you, 
which  I'll  not  tell  you  till  I  have  tested  your  fidelity. 
Remove  these  things  now,  and  make  the  room  tidy. 
Take  the  soiled  linen  to  your  own  house,  and  wash  it 
yourself.  I  will  see  that  you  are  well  paid  for  silence 
and  discretion." 

"  'Deed,  sir,  you  may  trust  me ;  but  I  hope  some  day 
I'll  find  out  what  it  all  means." 

"  It  only  means  this ;  that  we  were  anxious  to  find  out 
if  your  mistress  died  of  disease  of  the  heart ;  but  we 
have  reasons  of  our  own  for  wishing  no  one  to  know  that 
we  have  taken  measures  to  satisfy  ourselves  as  to  the 
cause  of  her  death.  For  the  present  nothing  must  be  said 
about  it,  but  before  long  we  will  proclaim  it  ourselves." 

The  room  was  soon  restored  to  its  usual  appearance, 
and  the  three  gentlemen  left,  carrying  with  them  the  case 
of  instruments. 

Dr.  Brooke,  at  his  own  request,  went  up  to  see  Clare 
before  he  left ;  he  shook  his  head  over  the  half-lifeless 
condition  in  which  she  lay,  though  he  admitted  to  Mr. 
Clifford  that  the  course  he  was  pursuing  was  the  wisest 
one  under  the  circumstances.  If  she  were  permitted  to 
regain  the  control  of  her  faculties  till  she  could  be 
assured  that  she  was  safe  from  arrest  as  the  destroyer  of 
her  aunt,  fatal  results  might  ensue;  therefore  it  was 
better  to  keep  her  senses  stupefied,  than  to  risk  madness 
as  the  result,  if  perfect  consciousness  were  restored. 

Arrangements  for  a  speedy  and  private  funeral  were 
made  before  Dr.  Brooke  left,  as  Mrs.  Adair  had  always 
expressed  the  desire  that  no  unnecessary  parade  should 
be  made  when  she  died. 
26 


418      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

The  most  of  the  neighboring  families  were  absent  at 
that  warm  season — even  the  clergyman  of  the  chapel  the 
family  attended  was  at  some  bathing-place,  and  Mr. 
Clifford  took  on  himself  the  duty  of  reading  the  burial 
service  over  the  dead. 

The  vault  of  the  Beauforts  was  in  the  rustic  grave- 
yard that  lay  around  the  little  gothic  church,  two  miles 
away  from  Riverdale,  and  on  the  second  day  after  her 
decease  Mrs.  Adair's  remains  were  placed  in  it,  followed 
by  the  family  of  Dr.  Brooke,  and  a  few  other  friends  be- 
longing to  her  own  sphere  in  life. 

The  negroes  followed  in  procession,  and  when  the 
ceremonies  were  over  they  went  back  singing,  in  solemn 
chorus :  "  Hark  from  the  tombs  a  doleful  sound ; "  but 
as  they  drew  near  their  own  homes,  they  changed  the 
strain,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  the  beautiful  and  in- 
spiring hymn,  "  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth." 

Judith  Brooke  remained  at  Riverdale  to  watch  over 
the  sick  girl,  as  she  could  not  think  of  leaving  her  to  the 
care  of  servants  alone. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

CLARE'S  SUFFERINGS. 

CLARE   DESMOND  lay  in  a  passive  state,  dimly 
conscious  of  what  was  passing  around  her,  but  un- 
able to  grasp  the  meaning  of  anything  that  had  occurred, 
or   to  arouse  herself  from  the  apathy  into  which  her 
faculties  were  plunged.     She  made  many  efforts  to  do  so, 


CLARE'S   SUFFERINGS.  419 

but  without  result,  and  she  at  last  resigned  herself  with- 
out further  struggle  to  the  dreamy  listlessness  induced 
by  the  potions  administered  to  her. 

With  the  docility  of  a  child  she  obeyed  the  wishes  of 
those  around  her,  with  the  consciousness  that  she  was 
tenderly  cared  for,  and  all  was  done  for  her  good.  She 
had  no  appetite,  but  she  took  the  food  that  was  brought 
her,  because  they  told  her  it  was  necessary  to  sustain  her 
strength. 

When  Jasper  entered  her  room,  her  eyes  brightened 
for  a  moment,  but  the  brief  gladness  died  out,  and  when 
he  drew  near  and  attempted  to  take  her  hand,  she  with- 
held it,  vaguely  muttering : 

"Too  late!  too  late!" 

"  What  is  too  late,  my  darling  ?  Why  do  you  shrink 
from  me  in  this  way  ?  " 

"  Because — because  something  dreadful  has  happened. 
I  can't  think  what  it  is,  Jasper,  for  my  head  is  in  a 
strange  state ;  but  my  hand  is  stained.  You  must  not 
touch  it,  lest  it  defile  you." 

"  But,  Clare,  I  believe  you  to  be  as  pure  as  the  angels 
in  heaven.  Let  me  hold  your  dear  hand  in  mine,  if 
only  for  a  single  moment." 

"No,  no;  it  would  leave  a  black  spot  wherever  it 
touched  you.  I  can't  think  what  I  have  done  to  bring 
this  curse  upon  me;  but  I  feel  as  if  I  had  committed  the 
unpardonable  sin  of  which  the  preachers  tell  us.  Isn't 
it  a  dreadful  doom,  Jasper  ?  The  more  dreadful  that  it 
fell  on  me  just  as  I  thought  we  were  going  to  be  so 
happy." 

"  We  shall  be  happy  yet,  Clare,  if  you  will  only  try  to 
get  well,  and  regain  your  usual  spirits." 


420       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"  That  is  nonsense,  you  know,  Jasper.  I  can't  laugh 
and  jest  as  I  used  to,  with  that  fearful  weight  always 
upon  me.  Please  go  away  now;  I  am  tired,  and  talking 
makes  my  head  ache." 

This  interview  took  place  after  the  return  from  the 
funeral  of  the  old  lady.  Mr.  Clifford  was  preparing  to 
leave  on  the  steamer  that  passed  Biverdale,  that  evening, 
and  Jasper  went  to  him  with  an  earnest  entreaty  that  he 
would  visit  Clare  before  he  left,  and  tell  him  exactly 
what  he  thought  of  her  mental  condition. 

Jasper  repeated  as  accurately  as  he  could  the  conversa- 
tion that  had  passed  between  them,  and  Mr.  Clifford 
gravely  said : 

"I  have  been  forced  to  choose  between  two  evils, 
Jasper.  If  Clare  is  allowed  to  regain  perfect  control  of 
her  mind,  she  must  learn  the  death  of  her  aunt,  and,  in 
spite  of  every  assurance  we  could  make,  she  would  be- 
lieve herself  instrumental  in  hastening  it.  That  horrible 
thought,  combined  with  the  dread  of  arrest,  would  prob- 
ably destroy  reason,  if  not  life.  I  have  thought  it  best 
to  stultify  her  for  a  season ;  but  I  assure  you  the  medi- 
cine I  have  given  her  will  not  injuriously  affect  either 
her  mental  or  physical  health.  From  the  way  she  talks 
in  her  half-dazed  condition,  you  may  imagine  what  her 
remorse  and  self-accusation  would  be,  if  her  mind  was  in 
a  state  to  grasp  all  the  facts  of  her  unhappy  position." 

Jasper  sighed  heavily. 

"  I  know  that  you  have  acted  for  the  best,  sir ;  but  the 
work  seems  to  have  been  imperfectly  done.  The  mind 
is  not  at  ease,  and  she  is  groping  in  the  dark  for  the 
clue  to  what  she  thinks  she  has  done." 

"With  a  person  of  less  sensitive  temperament,  the 


'CLARE'S   SUFFERINGS.  421 

preparation  of  morphine  she  has  taken  would  have  pro- 
duced perfect  quiescence;  but  she  is  high-strung  and 
nervous,  and  to  deaden  all  thought  I  should  be  compelled 
to  use  more  than  is  safe.  You  must  bear  with  her 
fancies,  Jasper,  and  soothe  them  to  the  best  of  your 
ability.  I  hope  in  a  few  days  to  be  able  to  release  her 
from  the  spell  under  which  she  is  held  now.  I  shall 
send  her  mother  to  watch  over  her,  as  soon  as  I  get  to 
Portsmouth.  I  would  have  written  to  Mr.  Desmond  of 
Mrs.  Adair's  death,  and  invited  him  to  her  funeral,  but 
I  shrank  from  having  them  here  in  such  a  condition  of 
affairs;  and  his  presence  will  be  needed  where  I  am 
going,  to  assist  me  in  establishing  the  innocence  of  his 
daughter.  It  will  be  a  dreadful  blow  to  them,  to  hear 
of  what  has  taken  place  here,  and  I  thought  it  best  to 
soften  it  as  much  as  possible,  by  going  in  person  to  relate 
all  I  know  about  the  mystery  of  iniquity  that  has  been 
carried  on  under  this  roof."  • 

"Have  you  been  able  to  find  out  anything  about 
Claudia  Coyle's  place  of  refuge  ?  " 

"  I  have  had  little  time  to  make  inquiries,  so  much  has 
happened  in  the  last  three  days ;  but  we  shall  soon  hear 
from  her,  now  that  Mrs.  Adair  is  dead.  She  will  spring 
her  mine  at  the  earliest  opportunity,  and  I  must  hasten 
away  to  prepare  a  countermine.  The  old  lady's  will 
cannot  be  read  till  Clare  is  in  a  condition  to  understand 
its  contents,  and  I  shall  have  time  to  foil  Claudia's  plan, 
to  extort  from  the  heiress  a  large  slice  of  her  fortune  to 
suppress  the  accusation  she  dared  to  bring  against  her. 
Watch  over  the  poor  child's  safety  while  I  am  away, 
Jasper,  and  do  not  suffer  that  woman  to  gain  access  to 
her  room,  if  she  should  venture  to  return." 


422       A     NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

"  I  think  she  will  hardly  attempt  that ;  but  I  shall  be 
on  my  guard.  Miss  Judith  and  I  will  prove  more  than 
a  match  even  for  Claudia  Coyle." 

"Judith  has  been  very  kind,  and  she  has  been  told 
enough  to  enable  her  to  understand  Miss  Coyle's  ma- 
chinations. I  hope  to  be  back  in  a  week,  and  Mrs.  Des- 
mond will  probably  be  here  by  to-morrow  night.  Of 
course  she  will  come  as  soon  as  she  hears  of  her 
daughter's  condition.  In  twenty  minutes  I  must  be  on 
the  wing,  but  I  will  go  in  with  you  and  see  Clare  before 
I  leave." 

They  found  her  sleeping  quietly,  and  Judith  was  sit- 
ting beside  her  bed  reading. 

She  looked  up  as  they  entered,  and  said,  in  a  low  tone : 

"  So  you  are  really  going  to  leave  us,  Mr.  Clifford  ? 
I  almost  fear  that  as  soon  as  you  are  away,  a  raid  may 
be  made  upon  us.  Suppose  Miss  Coyle  returns,  what 
are  we  to  do  with  her,  or  to  say  to  her  ?  " 

"  Treat  her  with  extreme  politeness,  but  by  no  means 
permit  her  to  have  access  to  my  patient.  I  hope  to  re- 
lieve you  from  your  post  of  duty,  Miss  Judith,  by  send- 
ing Mrs.  Desmond  here  to  take  your  place  in  a  few  days. 
We  are  very  grateful  for  your  attentions  to  our  invalid  ; 
for,  as  you  know,  she  is  a  very  important  person  to  both 
Jasper  and  myself." 

Mr.  Clifford  bent  over  Clare,  felt  her  pulse,  and  then 
said : 

"  There  is  no  trace  of  fever  left.  If  you  can  get  her 
to  sit  up  to-morrow  and  walk  about  her  room,  it  will  be 
better  for  her.  She  must  not  lose  her  strength,  though 
I  dare  not  allow  her  mind  to  act  fully  until  I  can  assure 
her  that  no  guilt  attaches  to  her  for  the  death  of  her 


423 

aunt ;  that  no  punishment  can  reach  her,  surrounded  as 
she  is  by  friends  who  will  defend  her  to  the  utmost  of 
their  ability." 

"  She  has  spoken  of  Mrs.  Adair  more  than  once,  and 
expressed  some  anxiety  to  see  her.  I  quieted  her  by 
telling  her  that  she  was  too  much  indisposed  to  come 
up-stairs." 

"  That  was  right.  She  must  not,  on  any  account,  hear 
of  the  old  lady's  fate  till  I  can  prove  to  her  that  she  will 
not  be  held  accountable  for  it." 

At  this  moment  Clare  started  from  her  fitful  slumber, 
and  cried  out,  in  piercing  tones : 

"  Oh,  mamma !  mamma !  take  me  away !  save  me 
from  that  dreadful  man  !  he  is  after  me  again  !  He  will 
get  me  this  time,  and  I  shall  die;  I  know  I  shall  die." 

Mr.  Clifford  spoke  soothingly  to  her,  and  tried  to 
calm  the  agitation  which  shook  her  slender  frame  as  if 
with  an  ague  fit. 

"  I  am  here  to  protect  you,  Clare ;  no  one  shall  come 
near  you  but  those  who  are  devoted  to  you.  You  have 
been  dreaming,  that  is  all ;  but  your  mother  shall  soon 
come  to  take  you  away  with  her,  if  you  wish  it." 

"Will  she?  I  can't  ask  her  to  come,  because  she 
vould  look  at  me  with  her  clear  eyes,  and  say,  '  Guilty, 
guilty;"  and  I  should  know  that  she  is  lost  to  me  for- 
ever." 

"  Get  rid  of  that  hallucination,  my  child,  for  you  are 
as  innocent  as  a  baby  of  wrong  against  any  one.  You 
must  not  accuse  yourself  in  this  way.  Who  were  you 
dreaming  of  just  now,  Clare?" 

She  shuddered  again. 

"  Of  one  who  is  more  repulsive  to  me  than  the  old 


424        A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

man  of  the  sea  was  to  Sinbad.  I  saw  John  Spiers  and 
Claudia  laughing  together  and  jeering  at  me,  telling  me 
that  I  had  done  something  dreadful ;  and  he  put  out  his 
hand  to  clutch  me,  when  I  screamed  out  and  awoke. 
What  have  I  done,  Mr.  Clifford  ?  I— I  know  they  told 
the  truth,  but  when  I  try  to  think  what  was  in  that 
letter  I  found  on  the  floor,  it  flits  away  from  me,  and  I 
can't  understand  what  enormity  I  have  been  guilty  of." 

"  You  have  done  nothing  that  you  need  fret  about, 
Clare.  You  surely  can  take  my  word  for  that;  you 
ought  to  know  that  I  would  not  tell  you  an  untruth. 
You  have  been  threatened  with  brain-fever,  and  this 
delusion  still  remains.  Get  rid  of  it,  my  dear,  and  let 
me  find  you  in  better  spirits  wrhen  I  come  back." 

"  You  are  going  away  then,"  she  said,  \vith  a  fright- 
ened look.  "  They  will  come  after  me ;  they  will  take 
me  away  in  spite  of  myself.  That  bad  man  told  me  in 
my  dream  that  he  meant  to  have  me,  and  he  defied  any 
one  to  keep  me  from  him  now" 

The  father  and  son  exchanged  glances.  Mr.  Clifford 
said : 

"  I  believe  your  dream  was  sent  for  a  purpose  just  at 
this  time,  Clare.  It  has  given  me  a  new  idea,  and  one 
that  I  shall  act  on.  Have  no  fears  as  to  your  safety 
while  I  am  gone.  Jasper  will  be  here  to  watch  over  you, 
and  Miss  Judith  will  not  leave  you  till  your  mother 
comes.  I  am  going  for  her,  and  you  will  soon  see  her." 

She  looked  at  him  wistfully. 

"  Don't — don't  tell  her  about — about — you  know, 
though  I  can't  think  what  it  was  Claudia  accused  me  of. 
Mamma  wouldn't  look  at  me  if  she  knew.  She  is  a 
good  and  true  woman,  and  I  am  a  doomed  sinner.  Jas- 


CLARE'S  SUFFERINGS  425 

per  need  not  trouble  himself  to  take  care  of  me,  for  I  am 
not  worth  it." 

"  You  are  worth  a  great  deal  to  me,  Clare,"  said  Jas- 
per, trying  to  smile  on  her.  "  You  are  more  precious 
in  my  estimation  than  diamonds  and  rubies." 

"  The  Bible  says  a  good  wife  is  more  precious  than  a 
crown  of  rubies,  Jasper ;  but  I  shall  not  be  that  to  you. 
We  have  had  our  dream,  but  it  is  over  now.  Our  hap- 
piness came  like  a  flash,  and  was  gone  before  we  had 
time  to  realize  it.  Good-by,  Mr.  Clifford.  Tell  me  if 
mamma  can  forgive  me.  I  hope  she  will  see  me  once 
more,  at  least ;  and  I  would  like  to  have  papa  kiss  me 
once  more,  and  tell  me  that  I  am  not  quite  an  outcast. 
If  they  could  only  understand  that  I  did  not  mean  to  do 
anything  wrong,  they  might  be  kind  to  me,  though  I 
know  I  don't  deserve  it." 

She  burst  into  a  passion  of  weeping.  It  was  the  first 
time  she  had  shed  tears  since  the  shock  of  that  cruel 
letter  prostrated  her,  and  Mr.  Clifford's  face  lost  some 
of  its  troubled  expression,  as  he  said  to  his  son  in  a  low 
tone: 

"  She  will  be  better  now,  Jasper.  It  was  that  stony 
suffering  in  one  so  young  that  alarmed  me  for  her  reason. 
It  will  be  safe  now  to  discontinue  the  soporific  I  thought 
it  necessary  to  give  her.  When  her  mind  is  perfectly 
under  her  own  control  again,  tell  her  what  we  know. 
She  will  have  a  hard  trial  to  go  through  with,  but  sus- 
tained by  her  best  friends,  she  will  be  able  to  bear  it." 

Jasper  nodded,  and  the  two  left  the  room,  accompa- 
nied to  the  door  by  Judith.  As  they  parted,  Mr.  Clif- 
ford said  to  her  in  a  low  tone  : 

"  Make  no  attempt  to  soothe  your  patient  just  now, 


426       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

Miss  Judith.  Those  tears  are  her  salvation ;  you  may 
let  her  weep  on  till  they  cease  to  flow  of  themselves ; 
then  you  may  use  your  powers  of  consolation  by  repeat- 
ing to  her  what  I  have  told  you.  Jasper  will  prepare 
a  new  potion  for  her,  which  will  act  on  her  nervous 
system,  and  brace  it  to  such  endurance  as  will  be  neces- 
sary to  her." 

He  bowed,  hurried  away,  and  after  a  few  impressive 
words  to  Jasper,  set  out  on  the  journey  which  was  to 
have  such  momentous  results. 

Clare  wept  till  she  fell  asleep  from  exhaustion,  and 
leaving  Lyra  to  watch  over  her,  Miss  Brooke  went  down 
to  tea.  She  found  Mr.  Bowden  in  the  hall  awaiting  her 
appearance.  He  had  come  over,  he  said,  to  see  if  he 
could  be  of  any  use  in  the  absence  of  Mr.  Cliiford. 
Judith's  face  brightened  when  she  saw  him,  and  she 
earnestly  said : 

"  It  was  very  thoughtful  of  you,  and  I  am  grateful 
that  you  came.  It  may  be  silly,  but  I  cannot  get  over 
the  fear  that  advantage  may  be  taken  of  Mr.  Clifford's 
absence  to  do — I  hardly  know  what.  I  shall  feel  safer, 
if  you  and  Jasper  will  take  turns  to  watch  through  the 
night.  I  do  hope  that  Mrs.  Desmond  will  come  to- 
morrow evening,  that  I  may  resign  my'  charge  safely 
into  her  keeping." 

"You  are  nervous,  Judith,  and  conjure  up  strange 
fancies.  What  danger  can  menace  Miss  Desmond  under 
this  roof?"  asked  her  lover,  in  some  surprise. 

"Nothing  worse  than  has  already  befallen  her,  I 
hope ;  but  it  is  as  well  to  guard  against  surprises.  You 
will  stay  all  night,  now  that  you  are  here,  William  ?  you 
will,  I  know,  for  my  sake." 


CLARE'S  SUFFERINGS.  427 

"  I  had  no  intention  of  doing  so  when  I  came ;  but  of 
course  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  stay,  if  you  wish  it, 
Judith." 

"  I  do  wish  it  with  all  my  heart ;  so  it  is  settled  that 
you  remain  and  take  me  home  to-morrow  evening,  after 
Mrs.  Desmond  arrives.  I  know  she  will  be  sure  to  come 
by  the  steamer  to-morrow." 

Bowden  was  only  too  happy  to  be  near  his  betrothed, 
and  Judith  unconsciously  lingered  over  the  tea-table, 
exchanging  with  him  that  communion  of  thought  and 
feeling  which  had  so  long  been  denied  to  them  through 
the  capricious  opposition  of  her  father  to  a  union  between 
them. 

Jasper  soon  left  them,  and  after  looking  into  Clare's 
room  to  find  her  sleeping,  with  Lyra  nodding  beside  her 
bed,  he  went  to  his  own  den  to  prepare  the  composing 
draught  his  father  had  left  with  him  directions  for 
making. 

He  had  scarcely  left  the  room  when  Claudia  Coyle 
emerged  from  the  adjoining  one,  and  approached  the  side 
of  the  sleeping  girl.  She  looked  down  on  her  with  an 
expression  of  mingled  triumph  and  hatred  in  her  shining 
eyes,  and  to  the  exclamations  of  alarm  and  astonishment 
that  burst  from  the  lips  of  Lyra,  she  imperiously  replied : 

"  Hush  that  noise !  How  dare  you  risk  awakening  the 
patient  from  this  saving  sleep  by  making  such  an  outcry 
as  that?" 

"O  lordy!  O  lordy !  what  skill  I  do?  Whar  you 
come  from?  Whar's  you  been  all  these  days,  Miss 
Claudy  ?"  whimpered  the  frightened  girl. 

"  That  is  no  concern  of  yours.  I  have  been  visiting  a 
friend  in  Richmond,  and  I  came  back  on  the  steamer 


428       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FOETUNE. 

that  took  Mr.  Clifford  away.  What  has  happened  here 
since  I  have  been  gone  ?  How  is  Mrs.  Adair  ?  " 

"  Oh,  the  laws !  an'  you  don't  know !  I  can't  tell  you 
here,  nohow : "  and  she  pointed  to  Clare,  who  lay  upon 
her  pillows  white  and  still,  as  if  dead. 

"  Then  come  where  you  can  tell  me.  I  merely  had  a 
glimpse  of  Mr.  Clifford  as  he  was  stepping  on  the  boat, 
and  I  know  nothing  of  what  has  happened  here  in  my  ab- 
sence. Come  into  the  dressing-room  and  speak  with  me." 

Lyra  arose  at  her  bidding,  and  reluctantly  followed 
her.  Claudia  dexterously  drew  from  the  girl  all  that 
she  knew,  and  then  went  to  her  own  apartment,  to  deter- 
mine on  the  most  feasible  means  of  carrying  out  the 
plans  she  and  Spiers  had  determined  on  in  her  absence. 

She  had  really  been  to  Richmond;  for  when  she  took 
refuge  in  the  cottage  of  the  old  woman  with  whom  Spiers 
had  boarded  since  Clare  had  been  at  Riverdale,  she 
found  that  he  had  wearied  of  the  monotony  of  his  life, 
and  had  gone  away  for  a  few  days. 

A  note  left  for  her  told  Claudia  where  he  was  to  be 
found,  and  she  followed  him,  to  inform  him  that  Mrs. 
Adair's  will  was  made  in  favor  of  Clare,  and  from  indi- 
cations of  failure  in  the  old  lady  she  believed  it  impossi- 
ble for  her  to  live  many  days  longer. 

Spiers  wore  his  cleverly  contrived  disguise,  and  he 
came  back  with  her,  fearless  of  detection,  to  learn,  on 
their  arrival,  that  Mrs.  Adair  was  no  longer  an  obstacle 
to  the  success  of  their  base  plot. 

Clare  MTas  now  at  their  mercy.  She  would  not  dare  to 
refuse  to  marry  the  man  who  could  cover  her  with  in- 
famy, by  accusing  her  of  the  premeditated  murder  of  the 
kinswoman  whose  wealth  she  was  anxious  to  enjoy. 


MISS     BROOKE     CAUGHT     NAPPING.       429 

After  earnest  consultation  between  the  two  conspira- 
tors, it  was  decided  that  Claudia  should  venture  back  to 
Riverdale,  and  assume  her  old  position  there,  as  if  noth- 
ing had  occurred  to  render  her  presence  unwelcome. 
She  could  thus  have  opportunities  of  communicating 
with  Clare,  and  of  placing  before  her  the  only  alterna- 
tive that  would  save  her  from  a  criminal  accusation  sus- 
tained by  such  evidence  as  she  must  be  made  to  believe 
Would  lead  to  her  condemnation. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

MISS  BROOKE  CAUGHT  NAPPING. 

"TTTHEN   Miss  Brooke  at  length  remembered  "her 
V  V     charge  she  hurried  to  her  apartment  to  find  Lyra 
in  a  state  of  extreme  excitement,  after  the  cross-examina- 
tion she  had  gone  through.     She  sat  crying,  wringing 
her  hands,  and  rocking  to  and  fro  as  dismally  as  if  some 
awful  calamity  was  threatening  herself. 
Judith  sharply  asked : 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  you  ?  Has  anything  hap- 
pened while  I  was  away,  to  put  you  in  such  a  state  as 
this?" 

"  Oh,  the  laws !  Miss  Judy,  she's  done  come  back,  an' 
she's  bin  in  here  a  talkin'  to  me ;  an'  she  says  as  how 
she's  bin  to  Richmond,  an'  she  never  knowed  the  ole 
mistis  was  done  gone  till  I  tole  her." 

"Who  has  been  here?     Not  Claudia  Coyle,  I  hope?" 
"  Yes'm ;  Miss  Claudy  it  is  as  talked  long  o'  me,  an' 


430       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

she's  gone  to  her  room  now,  an'  says  she  means  to 
stay." 

Judith  wheeled  shortly  around,  went  straight  to  Miss 
Coyle's  room,  and  knocked  at  the  door.  After  a  slight 
delay  it  was  opened  by  Claudia  herself,  who,  with  tears 
in  her  eyes,  said  : 

"  Come  in,  Miss  Brooke,  for  I  wish  to  speak  with  you. 
I  have  sustained  a  dreadful  shock  since  I  came  here,  in 
learning  that  my  dear  old  friend  is  no  more ;  but  I  have 
been  trying  to  calm  myself  for  the  duty  that  lies  before 
me.  This  is  no  time  to  give  way  to  the  natural  emotions 
of  my  heart,  and  suffer  as  I  may  in  suppressing  them,  I 
must  do  so." 

Judith  went  in,  closed  the  door  carefully,  and  dryly 
said: 

"  It  will  be  best  for  you  to  keep  all  your  wits  about 
you,  Miss  Coyle,  for  I  assure  you  you  will  have  use  for 
them.  Will  you  be  so  good  as  to  explain  the  reason  of 
your  return  to  Riverdale,  after  leaving  it  clandestinely, 
that  you  might  avoid  the  just  anger  of  its  late  mis- 


Claudia  haughtily  replied : 

"  It  is  my  purpose  to  do  that.  I  went  away  to  evade 
telling  my  dear  old  friend  what  I  knew  would  prove 
fatal  to  her  in  her  precarious  condition,  but  not  to  avoid 
her  anger,  Miss  Brooke.  Are  you  aware  that  her  niece 
has  mixed  poison  with  the  lemonade  she  drank  at  night  ? 
that  she  is  responsible  for  the  premature  decease  of  the 
old  lady?  The  night  before  I  left  I  saw  her  myself, 
when  she  poured  the  deadly  drug  into  the  carafe  that 
stood  beside  the  bed." 

Judith  changed  color  slightly,  but  she  quietly  asked : 


MISS    BROOKE    CAUGHT    NAPPING.       431 

"  Did  you  take  any  measures  to  protect  the  old  lady 
by  removing  the  lemonade  that  had  been  tampered  with, 
and  replacing  it  with  another  draught?  Unless  you  did 
that,  how  can  you  know  that  Clare  used  anything  that 
could  hurt  her  aunt  ?  " 

"Action  on  my  part  was  rendered  unnecessary,"  replied 
Claudia,  with  a  sneer.  "  Clare  had  scarcely  left  the  room 
when  Mr.  Clifford  came  in,  threw  the  lemonade  out  of  a 
window,  and  filled  the  carafe  from  a  small  pitcher  he 
brought  with  him.  I  was  naturally  surprised  at  this ; 
but  I  soon  understood  that  he  had  discovered  Miss  Des- 
mond's purpose,  and  anxious  to  keep  the  old  lady  alive  a 
little  longer  to  lull  suspicion,  he  had  taken  this  method 
of  circumventing  her  niece.  He  must  have  been  fully 
aware  of  her  revolting  intentions,  yet  he  promoted  an 
engagement  of  marriage  between  his  son  and  the  perpe- 
trator of  this  crime,  because  Mrs.  Adair  had  made  her 
her  heiress." 

"  If  I  understand  you,  Miss  Coyle,  you  accuse  both 
Mr.  Clifford  and  his  son  of  collusion  with  Miss  Des- 
mond in  her  unnatural  attempt  upon  her  aunt's  life." 

"  I  only  tell  you  what  I  saw  myself;  you  can  put 
your  own  construction  upon  it.  I  believe  one  party  as 
guilty  as  the  other.  If  not,  when  Mr.  Clifford  discov- 
ered what  Clare  was  doing,  he  would  have  denounced 
her  at  once." 

Judith  was  silent  a  few  moments.  She  was  bound  by 
a  promise  to  Mr.  Clifford  not  to  betray  the  confidence  he 
had  reposed  in  her ;  so  she  only  said : 

"  Perhaps  he  was  actuated  by  the  same  motive  that 
you  assert  took  you  away  from  Riverdale — the  dread 
that  the  knowledge  of  Clare's  guilt  would  prove  fatal  to 
Mrs.  Adair." 


432      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"  If  he  had  not  participated  in  that  guilt,  he  would 
not  have  allowed  his  son  to  betroth  himself  to  Miss 
Desmond.  That  fact  of  itself  is  sufficient  to  criminate 
him,  knowing,  as  he  must,  that  the  old  lady's  life  was 
tampered  with." 

"  Is  your  object  in  coming  back  to  Klverdale  to  bring 
an  accusation  of  murder  against  the  three  to  whom  Mrs. 
Adair  was  most  tenderly  attached?  I  am  surprised 
that  you  returned  at  all,  Miss  Coyle,  to  place  yourself  in 
the  power  of  such  unscrupulous  persons.  How  could 
you  know  you  would  be  safe  here  for  a  single  hour  after 
your  intentions  became  known  ?  " 

"  I  came  to  have  an  interview  with  Miss  Desmond, 
and  lay  before  her  the  only  terms  on  which  I  will  allow 
her  to  escape  a  criminal  prosecution.  I  have  in  my 
possession  the  vial  containing  the  rest  of  the  liquid  used. 
After  seeing  what  I  did,  I  abstracted  it  from  her  room 
and  took  it  away  with  me.  That  alone  will  condemn 
her  when  it  is  produced  before  a  jury,  and  an  analysis 
of  its  contents  submitted  to  them." 

"  But  if  it  was  believed  by  her  to  be  harmless  ?  If 
the  poor  child  only  thought  she  was  using  a  love-charm, 
as  she  asserts,  I  hardly  think  she  would  be  condemned, 
even  if  a  trial  did  take  place." 

"A  trial  shall  take  place,  unless  she  accepts  my  terms. 
I  give  her  one  chance  to  escape;  if  she  does  not  avail 
herself  of  that,  she  is  lost  and  disgraced." 

"I  presume  your  purpose  is  to  extort  money,  Miss 
Coyle?" 

Claudia  flushed  deeply.     She  resentfully  said : 

"  It  matters  not  what  my  purpose  is,  Miss  Brooke, 
and  I  decline  unveiling  it  to  you,  since  you  will  not 


MISS     BROOKE     CAUGHT     NAPPING.      433 

give  me  credit  for  wishing  to  serve  the  ends  of  justice 
by  bringing  retribution  oil  this  young  girl." 

"  I  understood  you  to  say  that  on  certain  terms  you 
would  allow  Clare  to  escape.  I  supposed,  of  course, 
that  your  desire  to  punish  her  would  yield  before  the 
consideration  of  your  own  interests." 

"  You  are  at  liberty  to  suppose  what  you  please.  I 
must  see  Miss  Desmond  in  private,  and  have  an  under- 
standing with  her.  To  her  alone  will  I  name  my  con- 
ditions, and  it  rests  with  her  to  accept  or  reject  them. 
She  will  do  the  last  at  her  peril,  I  most  solemnly  assure 
you." 

Judith  arose  from  the  seat  she  had  taken,  and  coldly 
said: 

"  I  have  pledged  my  word  to  Mr.  Clifford  that  in 
case  of  your  return,  you  should  not  be  permitted  to  see 
Clare.  She  is  too  ill  to  be  annoyed,  and  I  do  not  think 
that  she  will  consent  to  any  terms  proposed  by  you.  If 
you  have  anything  important  to  say,  you  had  better 
speak  to  Jasper.  As  her  betrothed  husband,  he  can 
answer  better  for  her  than  she  probably  could  for  her- 
self." 

"Thanks  for  uncalled-for  advice,  though  I  shall  not 
accept  it.  I  have  nothing  to  say  to  Jasper  at  present. 
What  I  have  to  propose  to  Clare  would  come  in  conflict 
with  his  claims,  and  she  alone  must  hear  it  and  judge 
for  herself.  I  shall  keep  my  rcom  and  have  my  meals 
brought  up  to  me,  as  I  have  no  wish  to  see  any  one  in 
this  house  except  Clare,  and  half  an  hour  with  her  will 
suffice." 

Judith  firmly  repeated : 

"No  communication  can  be  allowed  between  you  and 
27 


434       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

Miss  Desmond.  I  will  protect  her,  while  I  remain  here, 
from  any  intrusion  on  your  part;  and  her  mother,  who 
will  soon  be  with  her,  will  not  be  likely  to  prove  less 
vigilant  than  myself." 

Claudia  slightly  started,  but  she  recovered  her  self- 
command,  and  calmly  said : 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  Mrs.  Desmond  is  coming 
hither.  She  will  see  the  necessity  for  allowing  her 
daughter  to  make  such  terms  as  will  save  her  from  ruin 
and  disgrace.  I  have  no  doubts  as  to  the  result.  There 
is  now  but  one  course  for  Clare  to  pursue,  and  her 
mother  will  see  its  necessity  as  clearly  as  I  do." 

"  I  think  you  will  find  yourself  mistaken,  Miss  Coyle. 
That  is  all  I  shall  say  at  present ;  but  the  developments 
of  the  next  few  days  may  prove  to  you  that  Clare  has 
friends,  who  will  bring  home  to  the  authors  of  this  vile 
conspiracy  the  guilt  they  are  trying  to  fix  on  her.  I 
think  it  will  be  best  for  you  to  keep  your  own  apartment 
while  here,  as  neither  Jasper  nor  I  will  care  to  sit  at  the 
same  table  with  you." 

Judith  left  the  room  as  abruptly  as  she  had  entered  it, 
and  Claudia  stood  looking  after  her  with  both  fear  and 
indignation  expressed  in  her  face. 

"  What — what  can  she  mean  ?  "  she  muttered.  "  It  is 
impossible  that  any  clue  can  have  been  found.  John  is 
not  apt  to  make  mistakes,  and  he  assured  me  that  every 
precaution  had  been  taken  to  prevent  detection.  My 
letters  suggesting  this  clever  road  to  wealth  were 
destroyed  as  soon  as  read ;  the  old  fortune-teller  has 
been  induced  to  go  away,  leaving  no  trace  behind  her ; 
so  what  can  Clare's  friends  do  to  criminate  us,  and  save 
her?  Nothing ;  so  I  cast  fear  to  the  winds,  and  go  upon 
my  course  certain  of  victory. 


MISS     BROOKE    CAUGHT    NAPPING.      435 

"  Not  speak  with  her !  Shall  I  not  ?  We  will  see, 
Miss  Judith  Brooke,  which  shall  prevail  in  this  struggle. 
My  craft  will  prove  more  than  a  match  for  your  vigil- 
ance, you  will  find  out.  I  will  speak  with  her  this 
night,  and  force  from  her  her  consent  to  go  away  with 
John  Spiers,  much  as  she  loathes  him,  in  spite  of  all  the 
precautions  that  may  be  taken  to  prevent  me." 

With  this  determination  she  sat  down  beside  an  open 
window,  to  wait  till  all  was  quiet  in  the  house.  Jasper 
sent  up  a  request  that  she  would  see  him,  but  she  curtly 
refused,  sending  word  back  that  she  had  nothing  to  say 
to  him. 

Presently  the  servant  came  back,  bringing  a  few 
pencilled  lines. 

"  It  will  be  to  your  own  interest  to  near  what  I  have 
to  say,  Miss  Coyle,  and  I  insist  that  you  will  allow  me  to 
speak  with  you  a  few  moments.  "  J.  C." 

To  this  she  rapidly  replied : 

"  In  coming  hither  I  was  not  actuated  by  any  motive 
of  interest.  I  am  here  to  bear  witness  to  the  crime  that 
has  been  perpetrated  beneath  this  roof,  and  I  shall  not 
leave  it  till  the  ends  of  justice  are  accomplished.  I  do 
not  wish  to  hear  anything  you  have  to  say  in  extenua- 
tion of  the  evil  deed  done  here ;  therefore  I  decline  to 
see  you.  "  C.  C." 

Judith  and  Jasper  were  standing  together  in  the  hall 
when  this  reply  was  brought  to  him.  He  bit  his  lip  as 
he  handed  the  slip  of  paper  to  her,  and  said  : 

"  Since  she  will  sow  the  wind,  she  may  reap  the  whirl- 


436        A     NEW     WAY     TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

wind.  I  shall  make  no  further  attempt  to  communicate 
with  her." 

"  You  have  done  all  that  you  can,  Jasper ;  and  more- 
over, your  father  would  be  seriously  offended  if  anything 
were  betrayed  to  her.  Let  her  rest  in  imagined  security 
till  the  storm  bursts.  I  will  remain  with  Clare  to-night, 
and  guard  her  so  effectually  that  no  access  shall  be  gained 
to  her." 

"But  what  can  she  have  to  propose  to  Clare?  It  is 
that  which  worries  me.  It  may  be  something  aside  from 
money,  and  in  her  present  weak,  half  dazed  condition, 
my  poor  darling  may  be  frightened  into  consenting  to 
anything,  to  save  herself  from  this  frightful  charge." 

"  It  can  be  nothing  but  a  heavy  bribe  that  she  is  play- 
ing for,  Jasper;  but  do  not  make  yourself  uneasy  about 
Clare.  She  shall  have  no  chance  to  be  annoyed  by 
Claudia  Coyle." 

Jasper  sighed  heavily. 

"  I  shall  not  sleep  to-night,  for  the  sudden  return  of 
this  woman  has  filled  me  with  a  vague  dread  that  I  find 
it  impossible  to  overcome.  I  fear  that  she  is  capable  of 
anything  to  carry  out  her  base  purposes,  and  we  cannot 
be  too  watchful." 

".I  shall  do  rny  part,  and  I  have  no  doubt  as  to  your 
vigilance,"  said  Judith,  in  reply.  "  I  am  going  now  to 
Clare,  and  I  shall  not  permit  myself  to  sleep  through  the 
night.  With  you  and  William  to  watch  over  us,  I  shall 
have  no  fears  of  anything  happening  in  the  night." 

She  went  up  to  Clare's  room,  and  dismissing  Lyra, 
established  herself  in  a  large  chair  beside  the  bed. 

The  night  was  very  warm,  and  all  the  windows  and 
doors  were  open  to  admit  the  faint  breeze  that  began  to 
arise  from  the  river. 


MISS     BEOOKE    CAUGHT    NAPPING.      437 

The  sick  girl  lay  sleeping  quietly,  and  by  the  light  of 
the  shaded  lamp  Judith  thought  she  looked  less  ghastly 
than  a  few  hours  before.  Judith  had  herself  given  her 
the  new  potion  prepared  by  Jasper,  and  she  thought  it 
had  already  produced  a  sedative  effect  on  the  nerves  of 
the  patient. 

Judith  found  the  hours  hang  very  heavy,  for  the  book 
she  had  brought  up  with  her  proved  tedious  as  a  "  twice- 
told  tale,"  and  finding  herself  on  the  verge  of  falling 
asleep,  she  arose,  and  went  to  the  open  window.  The 
lawn  lay  bathed  in  bright  moonlight,  with  heavy 
shadows  massed  together  beneath  the  overhanging  trees 
on  either  side  of  the  house,  and  the  river  flowed  placidly 
by,  dotted  here  and  there  with  such  small  craft  as  plied 
upon  it. 

Night  had  for  her  always  a  peculiar  charm,  and  she 
leaned  her  head  against  the  sash,  drinking  in  the  soft  air 
that  floated  up  to  her,  and  gazing  with  loving  eyes  upon 
the  wide  azure  vault  above,  with  its  flood  of  mellow  light 
and  faintly  twinkling  stars.  She  saw  a  figure  moving 
slowly  among  the  trees,  and  in  her  anxiety  to  discover 
who  it  was,  she  was,  for  a  few  moments,  oblivious  of 
what  might  be  passing  in  the  room  to  which  her  back 
was  turned. 

The  night-prowler  came  nearer,  emerged  into  the  open 
moonlight,  as  if  fearless  of  being  seen,  and  Judith  recog- 
nized her  lover.  He  looked  up,  and  she  waved  her 
hand  to  him,  and  stood  several  moments  watching  him  as 
he  moved  leisurely  toward  the  house,  thinking  how 
happy  she  was  after  so  many  years  of  probation. 

Judith  had  scarcely  approached  the  window  when  a 
figure,  shrouded  in  a  black  mantle  that  covered  her  from 


438      A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

head  to  feet,  came  swiftly  and  noiselessly  to  the  side  of 
Clare's  bed.  On  the  table,  which  had  been  drawn  up 
near  it,  was  a  small  pitcher  filled  with  ice-water,  which 
had  been  placed  there  for  the  use  of  Miss  Brooke.  A 
Bohemian  glass  goblet,  of  a  deep  ruby  tinge,  stood  beside 
it,  and  into  this  the  intruder  dropped  a  few  grains  of 
white  powder,  which  were  instantly  dissolved  by  a  few 
drops  of  water  remaining  in  the  bottom.  She  then  glided 
away  as  noiselessly  as  she  had  entered,  and  when  Miss 
Brooke  returned  to  her  post  she  had  no  suspicion  of  what 
had  been  done. 

She  poured  out  some  of  the  water,  which  was  so  cold 
as  to  disguise  the  taste  of  what  had  been  mingled  with  it 
till  after  the  draught  was  swallowed.  She  then  made  a 
.grimace,  and  muttered : 

"It  is  strange  how  bitter  ice  will  sometimes  make 
water  taste.  Heigh-ho !  it  is  very  tiresome  here,  with 
nothing  interesting  to  read,  and  I  dare  not  leave  my  post 
to  get  another  book.  Neither  must  I  let  myself  go  to 
sleep.  I  suppose  that  wretched  creature  is  on  the  watch, 
and  is  ready  to  take  advantage  of  a  moment  of  forgetful- 
ness  on  my  part." 

She  sat  down,  again  took  up  her  book,  and  tried  to 
extract  some  interest  from  its  pages.  For  half  an  hour 
she  resisted  the  drowsiness  that  was  creeping  over  her; 
but  then,  in  spite  of  all  her  eiforts  to  keep  awake*  the 
drug  she  had  taken  overpowered  her.  She  arose  with 
the  intention  of  calling  Lyra,  who  slept  in  the  dressing- 
room,  in  case  she  should  be  wanted  in  the  night;  but  be- 
fore she  had  moved  a  dozen  steps  from  the  bed,  Judith 
forgot  her  purpose,  and  coming  back,  threw  herself  beside 
Clare,  and  was  instantly  in  a  slumber  so  deep  and 


MISS     BEOOKE    CAUGHT    NAPPING.      439 

motionless  that  an  earthquake  would  scarcely  have 
aroused  her. 

Jasper,  who  had  implicit  faith  in  the  watchfulness  of 
Miss  Brooke,  did  not  attempt  to  approach  Clare's  room, 
but  contented  himself  with  watching  below,  with  the  un- 
quiet fear  that  Claudia  had  some  outside  confederate,  who 
might  attempt  to  communicate  with  her  in  the  night. 

Thus  Claudia  had  the  field  clear  to  herself. 

She  waited  a  few  moments,  till  she  was  quite  certain 
that  Judith  was  blind  and  deaf  to  all  that  might  happen 
near  her,  and  she  then  came  softly  in,  closing  the  door 
behind  her,  and  also  that  which  opened  into  the  dressing- 
room,  though  she  had  little  fear  that  Lyra  would  be 
aroused  by  the  sound  of  their  voices,  in  the  conversation 
she  had  secured  with  Clare. 

Claudia  then  approached  the  bed,  and  looked  with 
piercing  eyes  upon  the  pale  sleeper.  There  was  no  com- 
passion in  her  heart  for  the  change  she  saw  in  that  young 
face,  and  her  lithe  fingers  worked  nervously,  as  if  she 
was  tempted  to  grasp  the  slender  throat  and  choke  from 
it  the  breath  of  life. 

She  fiercely  muttered : 

"  If  I  dared !  if  I  dared!  but  her  life  is  too  important 
to  be  trifled  with  yd  a  while.  Patience !  It  shall  become 
a  horror  and  a  weariness  to  her  under  his  tortures.  Oh, 
if  I  thought  he  would  ever  have  one  relenting  feeling  in 
his  heart  toward  her  when  she  falls  utterly  in  his  power, 
I  believe  I  would  kill  her  now  as  she  lies  helpless  before 
me." 

Some  electric  consciousness  of  the  baleful  glance  that 
rested  on  her  must  have  been  felt  by  Clare,  for  she  stirred 
uneasily  in  her  sleep,  and  presently  opened  her  eyes,  to 


440       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

see  a  form  clad  in  white  drapery  which  flowed  loosely  to 
her  feet,  standing  over  her. 

For  an  instant  the  superstitious  horror  of  supernatural 
appearances  fostered  in  her  by  her  old  nurse  was  domi- 
nant, and  the  effort  she  made  to  cry  out  was  stifled  in  her 
throat  by  the  belief  that  she  saw  a  ghost.  The  next 
moment  she  recognized  Claudia,  and  with  a  faint  gasp, 
said : 

"  You  here !  What  have  you  come  for  ?  and  where  is 
Miss  Judith?" 

"I  came  to  have  an  earnest  talk  with  you — one  that  is 
vital  to  yourself,  and  as  they  refused  me  admittance  to 
you  I  drugged  Miss  Brooke,  and  here  I  am  to  help  you 
to  evade  the  fate  you  have  so  recklessly  brought  on 
yourself." 

Clare  passed  her  hand  over  her  brow,  and  for  a  moment 
seemed  perplexed ;  then  a  sudden  spasm  of  pain  passed 
over  her  face,  and  she  slowly  said : 

"  I  remember  all  now ;  the  letter,  and — and  the  cruel 
falsehood  it  contained.  Claudia,  how  could  you  write 
anything  so  infamous?  I  would  sooner  have  died  than 
give  anything  to  my  aunt  that  would  injure  her.  You 
know  that  very  well,  Claudia,  though  yon  did  say  that  I 
had  poisoned  her.  I  have  been  wandering  in  a  maze  for 
the  last  few  days,  but  my  brain  is  clearing  now,  and  I 
remember  what  you  said.  What  does  it  all  mean  ?  and 
why  do  you  hate  me  so  ?  " 

"  It  is  very  well  for  you  to  put  on  that  innocent  look, 
Clare  Desmond,  and  ask  such  pitiful  questions;  but 
what  has  happened  here  is  sufficient  to  condemn  you  in 
the  eyes  of  the  most  unsuspicious  people,"  was  the  hard 
reply. 


MISS     BROOKE     CAUGHT    NAPPING.       441 

"  Why,  what  has  happened  here  ?  Nothing  more  than 
usual,  though  I  have  been  ill,  and  they  may  have  kept 
things  from  me.  What  do  you  mean,  Claudia?" 

"  I  will  tell  you,  if  you  will  promise  me  to  remain 
perfectly  still,  however  shocked  you  may  be  at  the  too 
sudden  consummation  of  your  wishes  with  regard  to 
your  aunt.  If  you  utter  one  cry  to  bring  others  here  to 
interrupt  our  conversation,  you  are  lost.  I  came  hither 
to  save  you,  and  only  I  and  one  other  can  do  it.  Do 
you  understand,  Clare  ?  " 

She  might  well  ask  that  question,  for  the  stony  face 
that  was  now  lifted  from  the  pillow  was  so  wild  with 
horror  that  all  comprehension  seemed  to  have  died  out 
of  it.  Clare's  white  lips  faintly  syllabled : 

"My  aunt — what  of  her?  I  shall  make  no  outcry. 
I  have  no  voice  left  to  do  it  with." 

Unmoved  by  her  anguish,  Claudia  icily  said : 

"That  is  well.  I  came  hither  to  tell  you  what  has 
been  kept  from  you,  but  which  you  ought  to  know. 
Mrs.  Adair  is  dead  and  buried;  and  unless  you  listen 
favorably  to  what  I  came  here  to  say  to  you,  you  will  be 
arraigned  as  her  murderer." 

She  might  have  talked  on  indefinitely,  for  Clare  had 
sunk  back  half  insensible  upon  her  pillows. 

Claudia  coolly  sprinkled  a  few  drops  of  water  on  her 
pallid  face,  and  waited  till  consciousness  returned. 

"Dead — dead!  my  aunt  dead!"  the  white  lips  at 
length  murmured.  "And  I — /  her  destroyer!  Ah, 
God !  can  it  be,  can  it  be  that  this  awful  crime  can  be 
brought  home  to  me?  No,  no;  I  will  not  believe  it. 
I  will  not!" 

"  Of  what  avail  is  such  an  assertion  as  that,"  asked 


442       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE 

Claudia,  "  when  in  your  inmost  soul  you  know  that  you 
are  guilty?  I  can  help  you  to  evade  the  punishment 
you  justly  deserve,  and  I  will  do  it  on  my  own  condi- 
tions. I  hold  in  my  hands  the  proofs  of  your  guilt,  and 
I  will  produce  them,  if  you  refuse  to  be  guided  im- 
plicitly by  me.  We  have  not  much  time  to  waste  in 
words,  so  you  must  choose  your  course,  and  do  it 
quickly." 

Clare  gazed  at  her  in  silent  horror,  as  she  thus  spoke. 
For  many  moments  she  could  not  speak,  and  Claudia 
sarcastically  went  on : 

"  It  is  a  strange  thing  that  you  could  have  the  nerve 
to  plan  and  carry  into  effect  the  fatal  deed  you  have 
accomplished,  yet  have  not  the  pluck  to  meet  the  conse- 
quences. If  you  prove  a  coward  now,  Clare,  what  is  to 
become  of  you  when  you  are  arraigned  in  the  felon's 
dock,  and  hundreds  of  curious  eyes  are  turned  up  to  get 
a  glimpse  of  the  young  creature  who  could  commit  so 
unnatural  a  crime?" 

With  sudden  passion  Clare  lifted  her  head,  and  cried 
out: 

"  Hush  !  hush  !  how  dare  you  bring  such  an  image  as 
that  before  one  you  know  to  be  as  innocent  as  the  baby 
in  its  mother's  arms !  You  say  you  have  proof  of  my 
guilt.  What  is  it  ? — where  is  it,  Claudia  Coyle  ?  I  used 
a  philter  given  to  me  by  my  nurse,  foolishly  believing 
that  it  would  make  my  aunt  love  me ;  but  there  was 
nothing  in  it  that  could  possibly  hurt  her." 

Claudia  coldly  asked : 

"  Is  it  well  for  you  to  keep  up  this  farce,  to  the  only 
person  who  can  and  will  help  you  in  the  dire  strait  into 
which  you  have  fallen  ?  The  evidence  is  all  against  you, 


MISS    BROOKE    CAUGHT    NAPPING        443 

Clare,  and  it  is  strong  enough  to  hang  you.  Do  you 
hear? — to  hang  you  by  that  dainty  neck  of  your.-,  white 
and  rounded  as  it  is." 

Her  cruel  lips  dwelt  on  the  last  words,  as  if  she  found 
pleasure  in  uttering  them.  Clare  looked  at  her  with 
dilating  eyes,  her  heart  fainting  within  her,  and  with 
effort,  she  said : 

"  You  take  pleasure  in  torturing  me,  Claudia,  or  you 
could  not  speak  in  that  way.  What  evidence  have  you 
against  me,  except  that  poor  little  bottle  that  you  took 
from  my  room  ?  If  that  has  not  been  tampered  with, 
nothing  will  be  found  in  it  to  condemn  me." 

"  I  pass  over  your  insinuation  of  foul  play,"  said 
Claudia,  tranquilly,  "  because  you  are  not  now  in  a  con- 
dition to  be  responsible  for  what  you  say.  The  bottle 
contains  a  slow  but  subtle  poison,  which  insidiously  un- 
dermines the  very  springs  of  life.  You  have,  for  weeks 
before  Mrs.  Adair's  death,  mingled  its  contents  with  her 
nightly  beverage.  This  can  be  clearly  proved  against 
you,  even  by  those  who  are  most  anxious  to  screen  you. 
But  I  do  not  wish  to  destroy  you ;  I  wish  you  to  live, 
because  I  have  pledged  my  word  to  one  to  whom  I  am 
under  obligations,  to  aid  you  to  escape  from  the  doom 
impending  over  you,  that  you  may  reward  him  for  his 
devotion." 

"What  can  you  mean?  Of  whom  do  you  speak?" 
asked  Clare  wildly,  as  she  lifted  her  head  again,  and  sat 
erect,  with  her  questioning  eyes  fixed  on  the  face  of  her 
ruthless  tormentor. 

"Can  you  not  recall  the  image  of  one  who  loved  you 
before  you  had  any  prospect  of  becoming  an  heiress ?.^g 
One  who  will  do  all  that  is  possible  to  save  you  now  if 


TO 

si: 


444       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE 

you  will  listen  to  his  suit,  but  who  will  crush  and  destroy 
you,  if  you  refuse  his  prayer  for  a  secret  and  speedy 
union." 

Clare  could  not  become  paler  than  she  was  before,  but 
an  expression  of  horror  and  despair  swept  over  her  face 
as  she  faintly  said  : 

"  John  Spiers !  he  it  is  who  has  set  you  on,  and  en- 
abled you  to  throw  your  toils  around  me.  I  have 
vaguely  known  that  some  terrible  wickedness  was  carried 
on  against  me,  and  now  I  understand  the  object  of  this 
accusation.  Did  he  supply  that  elixir  ?  Was  my  poor 
old  nurse  induced  to  become  his  assistant  in  this  in- 
famy?" 

"  It  is  John  Spiers  to  whom  I  refer ;  but  do  not  jump 
at  conclusions  too  rapidly.  He  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  compounding  of  the  death-draught  you  brought 
hither  with  you.  Your  nurse  wished  you  to  come 
speedily  into  your  fortune,  and  she  asked  of  the  old  crone 
she  applied  to,  not  a  love-charm,  but  something  far  more 
fatal.  A  large  price  was  promised  when  you  came  into 
your  inheritance.  The  drugs  were  purchased  at  the  shop 
of  the  elder  Spiers,  and  suspicion  was  aroused  in  the 
mind  of  the  old  man,  though  too  late  to  be  of  any  benefit 
to  Mrs.  Adair.  He  and  his  son  have  traced  out  the 
whole  conspiracy,  and  they  stand  ready  to  give  their 
evidence  against  you,  if  you  refuse  to  fulfil  your  engage- 
ment to  John.  His  adoring  love  for  you  induces  him 
to  wish  to  save  you,  if  possible." 

By  this  time  Clare  was  in  no  condition  to  reason,  or 
to  defend  herself  against  her  adversary.      Her   senses 
ere  whirling ;  her   mind   was    bewildered ;    her    heart 
suffering  pangs  of  remorse  in  the  belief  that  however 


MISS     BROOKE     CAUGHT    NAPPING.       445 

innocent  in  intention,  she  had  certainly  been  the  cause 
of  her  aunt's  death.  She  said,  in  low,  reluctant  tones  : 

"  It  does  not  matter  much  now  what  becomes  of  me. 
I  must  save  my  parents  from  the  disgrace  of  seeing  me 
arraigned  for  a  crime  I  never  intended  to  commit.  I 
know  that  you  cannot  be  moved  from  your  purpose, 
Claudia,  though  I  cannot  fathom  your  motives  for 
thrusting  me  into  the  arms  of  John  Spiers.  I  will  pur- 
chase present  immunity  by  accepting  his  offer,  though  I 
shall  die  of  a  broken  heart  before  many  weeks  are  over. 
That  does  not  matter  now,  for  the  sooner  I  die  the  better 
for  me.  What  must  I  do?  How  can  I  go  to  him. 
watched  over  as  I  am  ?  " 

"  I  thought  you  would  come  to  your  senses  after  I 
showed  you  the  precipice  you  stand  on.  You  must  be 
dressed,  and  walk  about  the  house  to-morrow.  In  the 
evening  Jasper  will  be  compelled  to  go  to  the  boat  to 
meet  y^our  mother.  I  will  go  away  when  luncheon  is 
over,  telling  them  that  I  shall  not  be  back  before  dark. 
Judith  will  be  thrown  off  her  guard,  and  nothing  will 
be  easier  than  for  you  to  walk  out  of  the  house  and  join 
Mr.  Spiers  in  the  arbor  at  the  lower  end  of  the  lawn, 
where  he  will  be  waiting  for  you." 

"And  when  rny  darling  mother  is  coming,  I  must  do 
this !  must  evade  her  and  go  away  with  a  man  I  despise 
and  detest!"  said  Clare,  in  a  tone  of  anguish.  "Oh, 
Claudia,  this  is  too  terrible  a  trial ! " 

"  It  is  less  terrible  than  the  one  you  are  threatened 
with  if  you  dare  to  stay  here.  Fail  to  meet  him,  as  I 
have  pledged  my  word  you  shall,  and  in  twenty-four 
hours  you  will  be  in  the  hands  of  the  officers  of  justice, 
on  your  way  to  prison.  I  may  seem  hard,  Clare,  but  I 


446       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

am  the  best  friend  you  have  in  your  present  strait,  ex- 
cept the  generous  man  who  is  willing  to  take  you,  with 
all  this  load  of  guilt  upon  your  head." 

Clare  was  exhausted  both  mentally  and  physically, 
and  she  dropped  back  on  her  pillow,  saying  faintly  : 

"  I  will  save  those  who  love  me  from  the  anguish  of 
seeing  me  openly  disgraced.  I  will  go — I  will  force 
myself  to  rise  to-morrow,  and  I  will  drag  myself  to  the 
feet  of  that  dreadful  man,  to  die  there  perhaps,  for  I  feel 
as  if  I  cannot  live  through  much  more." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  will  live  to  reward  the  true  heart  that 
is  willing  to  condone  your  crime — for  a  consideration" 
added  Claudia,  sardonically;  and  she  left  her  victim, 
after  saying : 

"  Of  course  you  must  be  secret  as  death  itself  concern- 
ing this  interview." 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

THE   OLD   NURSE    EXAMINED. 

E  aspect  of  affairs  had  improved  at  Desmonia,  in 
the  two  months  Clare  had  been  with  her  aunt.  The 
house  had  been  repaired,  the  lawn  cleared  of  weeds, 
and  everything  without  and  within  wore  a  renovated 
appearance. 

Clare's  letters  had  been  frequent  and  full  of  details, 
the  early  ones  breathing  only  of  hope  and  enjoyment,  and 
the  fond  parents  reconciled  themselves  to  her  absence,  by 
thinking  how  happy  and  fortunate  she  was.  But  the 


THE     OLD     NURSE     EXAMINED.  447 

tone  of  her  letters  suddenly  changed,  and  in  spite  of  her 
,  efforts  to  write  cheerfully,  it  was  evident  to  her  parents 
that  some  cloud  had  come  over  her  which  she  was  un- 
willing to  explain,  and  they  waited  in  painful  anxiety 
from  week  to  week,  hoping  that  an  explanation  would 
be  voluntarily  given,  or  an  invitation  be  sent  to  them  to 
visit  Riverdale,  when  they  could  make  their  own  observa- 
tions, and  decide  as  to  their  daughter's  willingness  to 
accept  the  husband  Mrs.  Adair  had  chosen  for  her. 

In  the  talk  the  two  gentlemen  had  with  each  other 
when  they  met  at  Mrs.  Ford's,  Mr.  Clifford  had  frankly 
stated  to  Mr.  Desmond  the  wish  of  Mrs.  Adair,  that  his 
son  and  Miss  Desmond  should  fall  in  love  with,  and 
marry  each  other ;  and  that  on  such  a  union  depended 
Clare's  favoritism  with  her  aunt.  It  was  the  old  lady's 
whim,  that  neither  of  the  parties  most  vitally  concerned 
should  have  a  hint  of  what  was  expected  of  them,  and 
both  Mr.  Desmond  and  his  wife  were  cautioned  not  to 
betray  anything  to  their  daughter. 

The  promise  was  kept,  though  it  was  often  difficult,  in 
their  tender  correspondence  with  the  absent  one,  to 
refrain  from  expressing  some  solicitude  on  the  subject. 
Clare  must  be  left  to  choose  for  herself,  ignorant  of  how 
much  depended  on  the  choice  she  might  make. 

One  brief  note  came  from  Mr.  Clifford,  in  which  he 
said,  at  the  close : 

"I  think  affairs  are  progressing  according  to  our 
wishes,  but  nothing  is  certain  as  yet." 

Mrs.  Desmond  was  an  active  housewife,  and  breakfast 
was  served  by  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  in  summer. 
At  that  early  hour  the  family  Jmd  gathered  around  the 
neatly  set  out  table,  when  a  visitor  was  seen  coming  up 
the  walk  in  front  of  the  house. 


448       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

"  Who  can  it  possibly  be  at  this  hour  ? "  said  Mrs. 
Desmond.  "  He  looks  like  a  gentleman,  and — and  I 
really  do  believe  it  is  Mr.  Clifford." 

"Yes,  it  is  he,"  said  her  husband,  rising.  "I  hope  ho 
comes  to  bring  us  cheering  news  of  Clare.  Her  lat<> 
letters  have  filled  me  with  vague  uneasiness  on  her 
accou'nt.  I  will  go  and  meet  him." 

A  single  glance  at  Clifford's  face,  as  the  two  met, 
showed  the  father  that  his  errand  there  was  by  no  means 
of  a  joyful  nature :  he  looked  weary  and  anxious.  And 
ready  to  take  alarm,  for  his  absent  child,  Mr.  Desmond 
said: 

"  You  are  most  welcome  here,  Clifford ;  but  I  hope 
that  you  are  the  bearer  of  no  evil  news.  Your  face 
looks  ominous.  Is  anything  wrong  with  Clare  ?  She  is 
well,  I  trust?" 

"  She  has  been  ill,  but  is  better.  I  have  come  to  send 
her  mother  to  her,  as  I  think  she  needs  her  presence.  T 
have  much  news  for  you — some  of  a  pleasant,  some  of  a 
painful  nature.  Mrs.  Adair's  will  is  made  in  favor  of 
your  daughter,  but  the  old  lady  died  suddenly  on  the 
night  afterward." 

"And  you  have  come  for  us  to  go  to  her  funeral.  Is 
it  not  so  ?  " 

"She  is  already  buried.  Later  I  will  explain  the 
apparent  disrespect  to  you,  and  you  will  see  that  I  acted 
for  the  best.  I  will  not  spoil  your  breakfast,  nor  that 
of  your  wife,  by  telling  my  news  beforehand.  To  tell 
you  the  truth,  I  am  half  famished  myself,  for  I  have 
been  up  since  daylight,  and  I  have  walked  from  Ports- 
mouth here." 

"Our  matin  meal  has  just  been  served,  and  after  you 


THE     OLD     NUESE     EXAMINED.  449 

have  taken  salt  and  broken  bread  with  us  you  can  speak 
of  what  brought  you  hither.  If  Clare  is  in  no  danger  I 
can  wait  patiently." 

"I  can  safely  say  to  you  that  she  is  in  no  immediate 
danger.  Do  not  alarm  Mrs.  Desmond ;  all  Clare  needs 
at  present  is  the  guardianship  of  her  mother.  Once  safe 
with  her,  all  will  go  well.  I  should  tell  you,  perhaps, 
that  she  is  betrothed  to  my  son,  and  they  seem  tenderly 
attached  to  each  other." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that.  Now  I  know  that  all  is 
indeed  safe  for  her.  The  old  lady  carried  her  point,  and 
then  made  her  will,  I  suppose  ?  " 

Mr.  Clifford  nodded,  and  they  went  in  together.  Mrs. 
Desmond  welcomed  her  guest  with  the  graceful  ease  that 
distinguished  her,  and  he  replied  to  her  inquiries  con- 
cerning Clare  in  such  a  manner  as  to  avoid  betraying 
anything  unpleasant.  Christine  and  Victor  were  pre- 
sented to  him,  and  he  quite  won  their  hearts  by  de- 
scribing life  at  Riverdale  to  them,  and  promising  that 
before  long  they  should  both  visit  their  sister  at  that 
enchanting  place. 

"When  the  meal  was  over,  Mrs.  Desmond  walked  be- 
side her  guest  to  the  front  piazza,  and  earnestly  said : 

"  I  am  not  half  satisfied  with  your  replies  to  my  ques- 
tions, Mr.  Clifford.  There  is  a  strange  reticence  about 
you  when  you  speak  of  my  aunt.  Did  she  send  me  no 
message?  no  invitation  to  visit  her?  I  cannot  tell  you 
how  anxious  I  am  to  make  her  acquaintance." 

"  You  will  never  make  it  in  this  world  now,  Mrs. 
Desmond,"  was  the  grave  reply.  "  Mrs.  Adair  died  two 
nights  since,  and  I  came  hither  to  tell  you  and  your  hus- 
band that  news,  as  well  as  other  things  that  are  of  the 
28 


450       A     NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

deepest  interest  to  you.  Can  I  speak  in  private  with 
you  and  him  ?  " 

The  bright  rose  tint  on  her  cheeks  faded,  slightly,  but 
she  hastened  to  say  : 

"Of  course  we  are  ready  to  listen  to  anything  you 
have  to  say,  though  I  fear  from  your  manner  that  it  is 
something  more  painful  even  than  the  news  of  Mrs. 
Adair's  sudden  death.  Is — is  Clare  concerned  in  what 
you  have  to  tell  us?  Has  anything  gone  wrong  with 
her?" 

"Clare  is  deeply  concerned,  Mrs.  Desmond;  but  let 
me  say  to  you  that  I  believe  all  will  come  right  for  her, 
and  for  my  son,  who  loves  and  is  betrothed  to  hef.  But 
at  present  she  is  in  great  trouble,  and  we  must  use  both 
craft  and  skill  in  extricating  her  from  it." 

"  Trouble !  Has  that  wretched  John  Spiers  come 
back  again  to  threaten  her,  now  that  her  aunt  is  dead? 
Explain,  I  entreat,  Mr.  Clifford,  for  it  makes  me  half 
wild  only  to  think  of  that  wretch  being  on  her  path 
again." 

"I  believe  that  the  man  you  speak  of  is  in  league 
with  the  young  woman  who  has  lived  with  Mrs.  Adair 
as  companion.  I  came  hither  to  consult  with  Mr.  Des- 
mond and  yourself  as  to  the  measures  we  had  best  take 
to  unmask  the  yillany  of  which  they  hope  to  make  Clare 
the  victim." 

Mrs.  Desmond  became  so  pale,  a*nd  trembled  so  ex- 
cessively, that  Mr.  Clifford  was  alarmed. 

"Dear  madam,  I  have  been  too  abrupt — I  should 
have  used  more  finesse ;  but  my  mind  is  so  full  of  this 
villany  that  I  forgot  how  new  it  is  to  you — how  deeply 
a  mere  hint  of  it  must  shock  you." 


THE    OLD    NURSE     EXAMINED.  451 

Desmond  passed  his  arm  around  the  trembling  form 
of  his  wife,  and  the  three  sat  down  on  a  wide  bench 
which  ran  along  that  end  of  the  piazza.  He  said  : 

"  Tell  us  the  worst  at  once,  Clifford,  and  then  we  can 
devise  means  to  circumvent  that  base  man,  Avho,  I  now 
believe,  knew  from  the  first  of  the  prospect  Clare  had  of 
becoming  an  heiress.  That  is  why  he  sought  her;  and 
now  that  Mrs.  Adair  is  dead,  and  her  wealth  comes  to 
my  child,  he  is  on  her  track  again." 

"  I  strongly  suspect  that  he  has  never  been  off  it.  The 
voyage  to  South  America  was  a  ruse  to  lull  suspicion. 

I  have  no  proof  that  Claudia  Coyle  is  in  league  with 
him,  but  I  have  in'my  own  mind  almost  a  conviction 
that  a  man  she  has  been  in  the  habit  of  meeting  clandes- 
tinely in  the  grounds  about  Riverdale  is  John  Spiers; 
and  I  have  come  hither  to  obtain  such  evidence  as  will 
save  your  daughter  from  falling  a  victim  to  one  of  the 
deepest-laid  and  most  infernal  plots  that  ever  was  con- 
t-octed.     You  must  both  summon  all  your  firmness  to 
listen  calmly  to  what  I  have  to  reveal;  it  will  shock  and 
pain  you  deeply,  but  you  must  be  told." 

By  this  time  Mrs.  Desmond  had  regained  that  self- 
control  which  women  of  strong  nature  can  practise  in 
moments  of  deepest  torture.  She  no  longer  trembled, 
and  her  voice  was  steady  as  she  said : 

"  Give  us  the  facts,  Mr.  Clifford.  This  is  no  time  to 
shiver  and  grow  pale;  the  danger  is  too  imminent;  it 
touches  us  too  nearly,  through  our  child,  to  allow  us  to 

I 1  link  of  our  own  suffering.     When  we  have  done  all 
that  is  possible  for  her  rescue,  and  /ailed,  it  will  be  time 
enough  to  sit  down  and  bewail  our  lot." 

"  You  are  right,  madam,  and  in  you  I  recognize  the 


452       A    2TEW    WAY    TO    WITS    A    FORTUKB. 

spirit  of  a  hero.  I  will  tell  you  all  I  know,  and  all  I 
suspect;  then  Desmond  and  I  most  come  down  like  a 
thunderbolt  on  old  Spiers,  and  wring  from  him  such  in- 
formation as  he  can  give  of  his  unprincipled  son." 

Mr.  Clifford  went  on  to  give,  as  concisely  as  posable, 
the  history  of  the  love-charm,  and  the  use  made  of  it  by 
Clare— of  the  letter  left  by  Claudia  Coyle,  stating  that  it 
was  poison,  and  that  it  had  been  used  by  the  heiress  of 
Mrs.  Adair*s  wealth,  to  enable  her  to  gain  possession  of 
the  old  lady's  hoards  without  too  great  delay. 

We  pass  over  the  exclamations  uttered  by  the  pale 
mother  while  this  explanation  proceeded.  But  for  one 
statement  made  by  Mr.  Clifford,  she  would  have  given 
up  all  hope  of  saving  her  child  from  the  snare  that  had 
been  laid  for  her;  but  that  gave  her  courage,  and  she 
said,  when  he  had  finished: 

"We  can,  and  will  save  her.  But  will  she  be  quite 
safe  in  your  absence  from  Biverdale,  Mr.  Clifford? 
Spiers  may  force  himself  into  her  presence,  and  Heaven 
knows  what  he  may  not  attempt" 

"  She  is  quite  safe  from  intrusion,  I  assure  you.  My 
son  is  on  guard,  and  he  loves  her  devotedly.  Miss 
Brooke,  a  sensible  woman,  and  a  true  friend,  is  with  her, 
and  will  remain  at  Biverdale  till  yon  arrive  there,  Mrs. 
Desmond,  and  take  your  daughter  in  charge  yoursel  f.  I 
think,  however,  it  will  be  best  for  yon  to  leave  on  the 
twelve  o'clock  boat,  if  it  is  possible  to  do  so." 

"Of  course  it  is;  anything  is  possible  in  such  a  crisis 
as  this.  I  will  get  ready  in  time,  and  leave  you  and  my 
husband  to  follow  me  as  soon  as  yon  have  unearthed 
John  Spiers." 

"Before  we  set  out  on  that  errand,  I  should  like  to  see 


THE    OLD    NURSE    EXAMINED.  453 

the  old  woman  through  whose  silly  superstition  all  this 
wretched  complication  has  arisen.  If  her  nurse  had  not 
imbued  Clare's  mind  with  such  nonsense,  this  hold  could 
never  have  been  obtained  over  her." 

"  I  always  set  my  face  against  it,  and  reprimanded 
Dolly  when  I  found  her  telling  her  wild  stories  to  my 
children,"  said  Mrs.  Desmond;  "but  what  could  I  do 
with  a  negro  nurse  who  was  many  years  older  than  I, 
and  thought  herself  twice  as  wise?  DoDy  will  be  sorry 
enough  wheu  she  knows  to  what  danger  she  has  exposed 
Clare,  for  she  is  fondly  attached  to  her ;  but  even  this 
will  not  shake  her  faith  in  her  favorite  superstition," 

Mr.  Desmond  arose,  looking  stern,  and  said : 

"  I  will  summon  the  woman,  and  we  will  learn  from 
her  every  particular  connected  with  her  visit  to  old 
Xancy  Blodge,  It  is  my  belief  that  Spiers  tampered  with 
the  fortune-teller,  and  that  a  slow  poison  was  designed  to 
be  given  to  the  old  woman.  How  he  has  been  foiled  I 
cannot  understand,  but  I  hope  we  shall  be  able  to  find 
out." 

In  a  few  moments  he  came  back,  followed  by  Dolly, 
with  that  peculiar  ashen  color  seen  on  a  black  face  when 
in  mortal  terror.  She  shook  like  an  aspen  leaf,  and 
rolled  her  eyes  wildly  from  side  to  side. 

Her  master  had  only  said  to  her : 

"  Come  with  me  to  be  examined  about  that  bottle  of 
trash  you  gave  your  young  mistress.  She  is  accused  of 
Laving  poisoned  her  aunt,  because  she  used  it  If 
you  do  not  speak  the  whole  truth,  I  will  have  you 
hanged." 

Dolly  would  have  replied,  but  her  tongue  seemed 
frozen  with  terror,  and  with  difficulty  she  managed  to 


454      A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

totter  after  her  master,  feeling  very  much  as  if  the  day 
of  judgment  had  come  for  her. 

Seeing  that  she  was  unable  to  stand,  Desmond  pushed 
forward  a  chair,  and  said  : 

"Sit  there.  You  are  a  criminal  arraigned  for  your 
life  now,  remember,  and  speaking  the  whole  truth  is  all 
that  can  save  you.  Answer  such  questions  as  this  gentle- 
man will  put  to  you,  and  be  careful  that  you  tell  neither 
more  nor  less  than  has  actually  happened." 

Dolly  sunk  on  the  chair  in  a  limp  heap,  too  deeply 
horrified  to  understand  anything  clearly,  but  that  she 
was  on  trial  for  life  or  death. 

Mr.  Clifford  waited  a  few  moments,  to  allow  her  time 
to  compose  herself,  and  then  quietly  said  : 

"  I  wish  you  to  collect  your  faculties,  old  woman,  and 
tell  me  when  and  where  you  obtained  a  vial  of  liquid 
called  a  love-charm,  which  you  gave  to  Miss  Desmond 
before  she  left  her  home.  Do  not  be  frightened.  I  be- 
lieve that  you  intended  no  evil  to  her." 

Dolly  began  to  rock  herself  to  and  fro,  muttering : 
*"O  lor!  O  lor!  to  think  I  should  ha'  got  my  darlin' 
in  sich  a  mess  as  dis,  an'  I  on'y  meant  to  help  her.    Oh ! 
what  shill  I  do  ?     What  skill  I  do  ?  " 

"  There  is  nothing  for  you  to  do  but  to  speak  out,  and 
that  pretty  quickly  too,  for  we  have  no  time  to  waste  on 
you,"  said  her  master  sternly.  "  Stop  that  maundering, 
and  tell  Mr.  Clifford  what  he  wishes  to  know." 

Thus  admonished,  Dolly  made  an  effort  to  straighten 
herself  up,  and  whimpered  : 

"  I  an't  got  nuffin  to  tell  him  but  what  he  knows 
a'ready.  I  gin  the  thing  to  her,  an'  I  an't  'sponsible  for 
what  was  in  it.  Old  Nance  gin  it  to  me,  and  she  said  as 


THE    OLD    NUKSE     EXAMINED.  455 

how  it  were  a  pow'ful  love-charm.  Dat's  all  I  know 
'bout  it,  an'  you  couldn't  git  no  mo'  outin  me,  ef  you  was 
to  tear  me  to  pieces  wi'  wild  hosses." 

"Tell  me  all  the  particulars  of  your  visit  to  this  Nancy 
Blodge,  and  where  she  is  to  be  found,"  said  Mr.  Clifford, 
still  trying  to  reassure  her. 

"She  an't  to  be  found  nowhars.  She's  done  gone, 
an'  nobody  knows  what's  come  o'  her." 

The  two  gentlemen  exchanged  glances. 

"  Come  now,  Dolly,  I  have  forborne  toward  you  long 
enough.  You've  had  time  to  gather  your  senses  and 
answer  rationally.  Give  me  a  minute  account  of  what 
happened  on  the  night  you  went  to  get  from  Nancy  this 
pretended  love-charm.  Call  to  mind  the  most  trifling 
thing,  for  on  that  perhaps  the  safety  of  your  young  mis- 
tress may  depend.  She  is  in  danger,  and  if  you  do  not 
speak,  something  dreadful  may  happen  to  her." 

After  a  brief  pause,  Dolly  straightened  herself,  and 
said : 

"  I'd  do  anything  for  my  pretty  lamb.  I  nussed  her 
in  dese  arms,  an'  her  own  ma  can't  love  her  much 
better'n  I  do.  I  meant  to  sarve  her  when  I  got  dat  ere 
bottle  o'  truck  from  Nance,  an'  I  can't  believe  there  was 
nothin'  in  it  dat  was  wrong." 

"  You  mean  anything  in  it,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  I  dunno  what  I  means,  for  I's  all  discomboberated — 
dat's  what  I  is;  flustrated  don't  come  nigh  what  I  isjes' 
now.  I'll  try  to  tell  you  'bout  dat  ere  visit  I  made  to 
Nance's  cabin.  I  saw  her  de  fust  time  in  de  woods  a 
gatherin'  yerbs,  when  I  were  on  de  way  to  have  a  talk 
wi'  her.  Well,  in  course  we  colloqued  together  while, 
an'  I  axed  her  'bout  what  I  wanted.  She  said  she  were 


456        A    NEW    WAY     TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

up  to  all  sich,  an'  ef  I'd  come  to  her  house  de  nex'  night 
she'd  have  it  all  right  for  me." 

"Of  course  you  went.  What  happened  then?  and 
who  did  you  see  there  besides  old  Nancy  ?  " 

"How  did  you  know  there  was  anybody  thar?  I'm 
sho  I  didn't  'spect  to  find  nobody  at  dat  ole  shanty,  but 
there  was  a  man  thar  a  talkin'  long  o'  her." 

"  What  sort  of  a  looking  man  was  he  ?  Young  or 
old  ?  tall  or  fair  ?  " 

"  He  weren't  nyther  one  nor  t'other,  but  I  couldn't  git 
a  good  look  at  him,  caze  he  kep'  his  hat  jammed  over 
his  face;  but  he  had  a  heap  o'  white  hair.  An'  when  he 
went  out,  which  he  did  almost  'mejiate,  I  saw  dat  he 
were  a  tall  man,  wi'  mighty  shapely  legs,  an'  shiny  boots 
on  his  feet." 

"Ah-h!"  said  Clifford,  with  a  long  breath.  "There 
is  some  light  here.  That  is  the  very  man  I  have  seen 
walking  with  Claudia  Coyle  at  night.  Go  on,  Dolly. 
You  are  putting  us  on  the  right  track  now,  and  you  will 
yet  help  us  to  expose  the  villany  of  which  you  and  your 
young  lady  have  been  made  the  unconscious  agents. 
Tell  us  what  occurred  after  the  visitor  went  away." 

*'  'Tan't  much  to  tell,  sir,  but  I'll  do  my  best.  Ole 
Nance  seemed  flustered  at  me  findiu'  de  man  thar,  an' 
she  turned  sharp  to  me,  an'  tole  me  she  wasn't  lookiu' 
for  me  for  a  hour  yit,  an'  axed  me  what  I  meant  by 
comin'  afore  my  time.  I  pacified  her  de  bes'  way  I 
could,  an'  when  she  got  in  a  good  humor,  she  laffed  an' 
joked  wi'  me,  an'  tole  me  dat  de  lixir  I'd  come  arter 
was  wuth  its  weight  in  gold — dat  I  were  gettin'  it  dog 
cheap  at  fifty  cents,  which  was  all  she'd  axed  me  for  it, 
an'  a  mighty  scrabble  I  had  to  git  dat  much  money. 


THE     OLD     NURSE     EXAMINED.  457 

But  I  was  tarmined  to  do  all  I  could  for  Miss  Clare, 
an'  I  knowed  nuff  'bout  Miss  'Dair  to  be  sartin  sure 
she'd  need  suffin  to  keep  her  in  de  good  graces  o'  de 
ole  lady.  So  I  sold  my  speckled  pullet,  wi'  her  fust 
chickens,  bein'  thar  was  only  six  on  'era,  an'  de  money 
I  got  for  'em  went  to  pay  for  dat  ere  charm.  Dat's 
all  I  know  'bout  it,  ef  I  was  goin'  to  die  dis  blessed 
minute." 

Mr.  Clifford  looked  disappointed ;  he  presently  said  : 

"  You  saw  nothing  more  of  the  white-haired  man  I 
suppose ;  that  is,  on  your  way  home,  I  mean  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  I  didn't  see  nuffin  more  o'  him,  but  I  met 
another  feller,  an'  a  curis  thing  happened.  I  never 
knowed  what  he  meant  by  stoppin'  me,  but  he  stood  jest 
in  front  o'  me,  an'  said  : 

" '  Halt,  thar ;  whar  do  you  come  from  ? ' 

"I  was  mad  at  him  for  his  imperence,  an'  I  said 
back: 

"'You  an't  no  millingtery,  nor  no  p'leeceman,  an'  I 
an't  agwine  to  stop  for  no  sich  white  trash.' 

"  De  moon  was  shinin',  an'  I  could  see  plain  nuff  dat 
he  were  white,  an'  when  de  win'  blew  his  hat  off  I 
knowed  him.  'Twas  ole  Miss  Beal's  son,  an'  ole  Nance's 
cabin  were  on  one  corner  o'  his  mother's  farm." 

"  Young  Beal! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Desmond,  breathlessly. 
"  He  is  a  clerk  in  Spiers'  drug  store.  What  did  he  say 
to'you,  Dolly  ?  Be  careful  now,  for  a  great  deal  depends 
on  your  answer." 

"  He  only  chaffed  me,  as  boys  will,  you  know,  an'  he 
an't  seventeen  yit.  He  'cused  me  o'  goin'  to  Nance  to 
git  some  o'  her  trash,  an'  said  he  could  make  me  suffin 
ever  so  much  better.  I  'nied  dat,  an'  at  las'  he  somehow 


458       A     NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

got  me  to  'fess  dat  I  had  a  bottle  o'  her  truck,  an'  to  let 
him  look  at  it. 

"  He  tuk  de  bottle  in  his  han's,  an'  twisted  and  turned 
it  'bout,  an'  then  when  I  got  mad  caze  I  thought  he  didn't 
mean  to  gin  it  back  to  me,  he  laughed  like  one  all  pos- 
sessed, and  said : 

" '  How  much  did  you  pay  for  dis,  now,  you  ole  goose? 
It's  wuth  'bout  five  cents,  an'  I  s'pose  you  gin  ten  times 
dat  much  for  it.  'Tan't  nothin'  but  soda  an'  water,  wi'  a 
little  yaller  colorin'  mixed  up  wi'  it.' 

"  You'd  better  believe  I  were  proper  mad  at  dat,  caze 
I  knowed  he  weren't  up  to  ole  Nancy's  doin's.  I  tole 
him  'twa'n't  no  business  o'  his'n  what  I  paid  for  it;  an' 
I  spoke  my  mine  out  to  him  'bout  his  rudeness  in  stop- 
pin'  me,  when  I  were  'tendin'  to  my  own  business. 

"At  dat  he  were  p'lite  as  a  dancin'-master.  He  made 
me  a  low  bow,  and  handed  back  my  bottle,  an'  I  went 
away  as  fas'  as  I  could,  while  he  laffed  agin,  an'  called 
out  arter  me,  '  I  hope  yer  mess  o'  stuff'll  do  no  harm, 
aunty;'  an'  den  he  went  on  a  whis'lin'  wi'  all  his 
might." 

Mr.  Clifford  drew  a  long  breath,  as  if  a  heavy  weight 
had  been  lifted  from  his  breast.  He  calmly  said : 

"  You  have  given  us  a  valuable  clue,  Dolly,  and  you 
may  go  now.  Quiet  your  nerves,  and  keep  a  still  tongue 
in  your  mouth.  You  are  not  to  breathe  a  word  of  what 
has  passed  here  this  morning.  I  think  we  can  undo  all 
the  wrong  that  has  been  perpetrated,  and,  with  the  help 
of  young  Beal,  bring  the  real  criminals  to  justice." 

Dolly,  in  spite  of  this  assurance,  went  away  looking 
crestfallen  and  forlorn. 


YOUNG   SEAL'S   STORY.  459 

CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

YOUNG  BEAL'S  STORY. 

MR.  CLIFFORD  turned  to  Mr.  Desmond,  and 
asked: 

"Who  is  this  young  Beal?  and  what  is  his  charac- 
ter?" 

"  He  is  the  only  son  of  a  widow  who  owns  a  small 
farm  in  the  edge  of  Portsmouth.  The  place  is  worn  out, 
and  I  think  there  must  be  very  good  management  to 
make  both  ends  meet  at  the  close  of  the  year ;  for  Mrs. 
Beal  has  three  daughters,  all  younger  than  George.  The 
boy,  so  far  as  I  know  him,  is  a  straightforward,  clever 
lad,  and  not  likely  to  abet  any  rascality,  though  he  has 
been  Avith  such  a  man  as  Spiers  for  the  last  three  years, 
learning  how  to  make  pills  and  mix  potions." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  he  has  good  principles ;  he 
knows  more  of  this  elixir  than  any  one  else  except 
Spiers  and  his  son,  and  his  evidence  will  be  valuable.  I 
think  we  had  better  lose  no  time  in  seeing  him,  Des- 
mond. I  almost  grasp  the  truth  now,  and  if  it  is  as  I 
believe,  we  can  take  Beal  back  with  us,  and  go  on  the 
same  steamer  with  Mrs.  Desmond,  to  confront  him  with 
those  conspirators  who  flatter  themselves  that  they  have 
the  game  in  their  own  hands." 

"  If  you  can  only  do  that,  Mr.  Clifford,  I  shall  be 
almost  happy,"  cried  Mrs.  Desmond,  grasping  his  hands. 
"  Oh,  my  poor  child !  Let  us  only  be  in  time  to  save 
her,  and  I  shall  thank  and  bless  you  all  my  life." 

"  I  keep  a  cab  and  horse  now,"  said  Mr.  Desmond, 


460       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"and  at  this  hour  they  are  always  ready  to  take  me  in 
town.  We  can  be  there  in  a  few  moments,  and  as  we 
have  six  good  hours  before  us  in  which  to  work,  we  may 
possibly  be  ready  in  time  for  the  steamer." 

In  a  few  moments  the  vehicle  stood  at  the  door,  with 
a  stout  roan  horse  throwing  up  his  head,  and  showing 
his  impatience  to  start. 

As  they  were  leaving,  Mrs.  Desmond  said  : 

"I  shall  prepare  for  you  to  accompany  me  to  River- 
dale,  Dezzy.  I  feel  almost  certain  that  you  will  be  abft 
to  do  it." 

"  God  grant  it !  "  was  the  brief  reply,  and  a  moment 
later  they  were  sweeping  down  the  road  at  a  brisk 
trot, 

Mrs.  Desmond  went  in  to  make  her  arrangements  for 
a  week's  absence,  and  Christine,  to  her  great  delight, 
was  told  that  the  house  would  be  left  in  her  charge,  and 
Victor  left  under  her  management.  The  old  servants 
would  be  protection  enough  in  a  quiet  neighborhood,  it 
was  decided,  especially  as  there  was  little  in  the  house 
to  tempt  a  burglar,  if  one  should  be  prowling  in  that 
vicinity. 

Christine  supposed  her  parents  were  going  to  Mrs. 
Adair's  funeral,  and  she  was  so  much  elated  with  the 
information  that  the  old  lady  had  bequeathed  her  fortune 
to  her  sister,  that  she  could  neither  speak  nor  think  of 
anything  else. 

With  swift  fingers  she  aided  her  mother  in  her  prepara- 
tions for  her  journey,  and  by  ten  o'clock  all  was  in  readi- 
ness for  her  departure. 

In  the  meantime,  the  two  gentlemen  had  driven 
straight  to  Mr.  Spiers'  place  of  business.  The  old  man 


YOUNG   SEAL'S   STORY.  4G1 

was  the  only  person  in  the  shop  when  they  entered,  and 
a  half-scared  expression  came  into  his  face,  succeeded  by 
a  vindictive  scowl,  as  he  recognized  Mr.  Desmond. 

He  offered  him  no  greeting,  but  stood  glaring  at  the 
unwelcome  intruder,  waiting  for  him  to  speak. 

"I  suppose  you  hardly  expected  to  see  me  here  again, 
Spiers ;  but  you  see  I  am  not  done  with  you  yet.  I 
have  brought  my  friend,  Mr.  Clifford,  to  witness  our 
interview  this  time,  and  I  think  it  will  have  more  im- 
portant results  than  any  that  has  hitherto  passed  be- 
tween us." 

At  the  name  of  his  companion,  Spiers  visibly  winced, 
but  he  recovered  himself,  and  insolently  replied: 

"I  wish  neither  yourself  nor  your  friends  to  come 
into  my  house,  Mr.  Desmond.  You've  insulted  me 
often  enough,  I  think;  but  the  longest  lane  has  a  turn, 
and  we've  got  to  it  now.  I  am  not  going  to  put  up  with 
anything  more  from  you,  I  can  tell  you." 

"Oh,  ho  !  I  suppose  you  think  you've  got  the  whip- 
hand  of  me,  but  by  the  Lord  you  were  never  more  mis- 
taken in  your  life.  I'll  pay  you  out  now,  you  vile  blot 
on  humanity,  for  all  the  villany  you  have  been  guilty 
of  in  your  loathsome  life.  I  have  spared  you  long 
enough,  but  this  last  crime  shall  be  atoned  for,  if  I  am 
forced  to  take  your  life  myself  in  expiation  of  it." 

The  cadaverous  faoe  of  Spiers  became  almost  livid, 
and  he  could  not  control  the  tremor  that  seized  him. 

"  Have — have  you  gone  mad,  Mr.  Desmond,  that  you 
assail  me  in  this  way?  I  shall  be  glad  if  your  friend 
here  will  explain  your  meaning,  as  you  seem  to  be  in  no 
condition  to  do  so  yourself.  I  deride  your  threat?,  and 
defy  them." 


462       A    NEW    WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

Before  Clifford  could  speak,  the  enraged  father  strode 
up  to  the  counter  behind  which  Spiers  had  taken  refuge, 
and  shaking  his  fist  in  his  face,  cried  out : 

"You  think  that  you  have  my  child  in  your  power, 
and  that  will  cow  me  into  silence ;  but  you  were  never 
more  mistaken  in  your  life,  you  miserable  dog !  She  is 
safe  from  you — safe,  do  you  hear?  though  Mrs.  Adair 
is  dead.  Your  base  son  meant  to  fasten  on  her  the 
charge  of  murder,  that  he  might  force  her  to  marry  him 
to  induce  him  to  conceal  it,  but  we  know  enough  to  foil 
him  at  that  game." 

With  a  gasp,  Spiers  fell  back  on  a  chair  as  if  he  had 
been  shot.  At  that  moment  George  Beal,  who  had  been 
out  on  an  errand,  entered  the  shop,  looking  excited  and 
a  little  scared. 

A  curious  change  came  over  his  face  as  he  saw  Mr. 
Desmond,  and  he  rushed  up  to  him,  saying : 

"  Is  it  true,  Mr.  Desmond,  that  Mrs.  Adair  is  dead  ? 
I  saw  it  in  the  paper  just  now,  and  I  thought  it  must  he 
the  same  old  lady  Miss  Clare  went  to  live  with.  If  it 
is,  sir,  it's  lucky  you  are  here,  for  I  have  something 
important  to  tell  you." 

"  I  came  here  to  find  you,  George,  and  if  you  can  do 
what  I  hope,  your  future  is  safe  for  life,  my  boy.  Don't 
fear  to  speak  out;  my  daughter  is  rich,  and  she  can 
more  than  make  up  to  you  what  you  will  lose  by  leav- 
ing the  employment  of  yonder  trembling  wretch." 

"  It's  not  that  I  am  thinking  of,  sir.  I've  only  been 
waiting  for  things  to  come  to  a  focus,  that  my  strange 
story  might  stand  a  chance  to  be  believed.  There  can't 
no  harm  come  to  Miss  Clare.  I  took  good  care  of 
that." 


YOUNG   SEAL'S   STORY.  463 

"  Shut  that  door  and  lock  it,  George,  and  then  we'll 
have  the  truth  out  of  that  vindictive  old  scoundrel  who 
sits  glowering  and  trembling  yonder." 

"  You  sha'n't  shut  my  door/'  screamed  Spiers.  "  Do 
it,  if  you  dare,  you  young  viper,  that  I've  warmed  in 
my  bosom  only  to  be  stung  by  you.  I'll  shoot  you,  if 
you  lay  a  hand  on  that  lock." 

He  drew  a  pistol  from  his  pocket,  and  with  a  hand 
that  was  almost  palsied  by  fright,  attempted  to  level  it 
at  the  lad,  but  Mr.  Clifford  wrenched  it  from  his  grasp, 
and  coolly  said  : 

"There  are  two  policemen  who  have  been  watching 
this  house  since  five  o'clock  this  morning,  by  my  orders, 
and  any  hostile  demonstration  on  your  part  will  be 
speedily  followed  by  arrest.  We  have  come  here  to 
have  a  settlement  with  you,  Mr.  Spiers,  and  we  intend 
to  learn  the  truth  about  this  infamous  conspiracy,  at  all 
hazards." 

Spiers  sank  down  as  if  collapsed,  and  for  a  moment  he 
seemed  on  the  verge  of  fainting.  He  had  heard  from 
his  son  of  the  death  of  Mrs.  Adair,  and  received  from 
him  the  assurance  that  before  many  days  her  heiress 
would  be  in  his  power,  either  by  fraud  or  violence ;  and 
just  as  he  was  preparing  to  triumph  over  his  old  enemy, 
by  throwing  in  his  face  the  accusation  of  murder  against 
his  daughter,  he  came  to  proclaim  his  knowledge  of  the 
whole  plot,  and  consign  those  engaged  in  it  to  the  pun- 
ishment they  merited.  A  coward  at  heart,  in  the  moment 
of  danger  he  had  no  resources  with  which  to  defend  him- 
self. He  sat  there  abject,  despicable,  shrinking  before 
the  stern  men  who  held  him  at  their  mercy. 

The  door  was  shut  and  locked.     Spiers  was  collared 


464      A    If  E  W    WAY    TO    AV  I  X    A     F  O  E  T  U  X  E . 

and  brought  from  behind  the  counter,  with  no  effort  at 
resistance  from  him.  Both  moral  and  physical  strength 
seemed  to  have  deserted  him,  for  he  submitted  without 
even  a  remonstrance ;  he  possibly  saw  that  words  would 
be  useless  while  in  the  hands  of  the  outraged  aud  enraged 
father. 

Beal  threw  open  the  door  of  the  inner  room,  and  Mr. 
Desmond  thrust  his  captive  into  an  arm-chair  which 
stood  near  the  centre  of  the  floor,  and  sternly  said : 

"  I  shall  first  hear  what  Beal  has  to  tell  me,  and  then 
I  shall  deal  with  you.  Jsow,  George,  speak  out,  and 
tell  me  how  you  managed  to  baffle  the  devilish  plot  of 
that  man  and  his  son." 

There  was  in  the  partition  wall  a  space  which  had 
once  been  filled  by  a  door.  It  was  in  an  inconvenient 
position,  and  Spiers  had  caused  another  to  be  made, 
boarding  up  the  first,  and  papering  it  on  the  side  next 
to  the  shop.  A  few  days  before  the  interview  between 
himself  and  his  son,  in  which  the  latter  unveiled  his 
intentions  with  regard  to  Clare,  Beal,  in  packing  some 
heavy  articles  in  that  corner,  had  started  one  of  the 
planks,  leaving  a  creviceteearly  half  an  inch  in  width. 
As  he  was  often  severely  scolded,  and  his  small  salary 
kept  back,  if  accidents  happened,  he  said  nothing  of  this, 
intending  to  restore  the  plank  to  its  place  when  an  oppor- 
tunity offered. 

After  explaining  this,  he  went  on  to  say : 

"  John  Spiers  never  treated  me  well,  but  one  morning 
he  was  ruder  to  me  than  usual  when  he  came  in  here 
and  found  me  packing  some  things.  He  ordered  me 
out,  and  told  me  not  to  go  eaves-dropping  to  hear  what 
he  and  the  old  man  had  to  say  to  each  other.  I 


YOUNG   SEAL'S   STOEY.  465 

shouldn't  have  thought  of  such  a  thing,  if  he  hadn't 
put  it  in  my  head.  I  remembered  the  crack  in  the  wall, 
and  I  put  my  ear  to  it  as  soon  as  they  shut  the  door  on 
me.  I  was  scared  at  what  I  heard  'em  say.  John  had 
letters  from  a  girl  that  was  living  with  a  rich  old  lady, 
who  meant  to  send  for  Miss  Clare  Desmond  to  go  and 
live  with  her,  and  if  she  liked  her,  she'd  give  her  all  her 
money  when  she  died." 

Beal  then  went  on,  and  gave  as  clear  an  account  of 
the  conspiracy  as  he  could,  interrupted  at  every  new 
statement  by  a  sharp  hissing  sentence  from  the  limp 
villain  on  the  chair : 

"  You  lie,  you  young  viper ;  you  lie,  and  you 
know  it." 

Little  notice  was  taken  of  this  feeble  attempt  to  de- 
fend himself,  and  the  lad  at  length  came  to  that  portion 
of  his  statement  for  which  Mr.  Clifford  impatiently 
waited. 

"  When  I  found  out  what  they  meant  to  do  to  get 
Mrs.  Adair  out  of  the  way,  and  fix  on  Miss  Desmond 
the  charge  of  killing  her,  I  made  up  my  mind  that  I'd 
take  a  hand  with  'em,  and  hold  the  trumps.  I  owed  a 
grudge  to  John  Spiers  for  always  running  roughshod 
over  me,  and  I  meant  to  let  him  go  the  length  of  his 
tether,  and  then  bring  him  up  with  a  sharp  jerk. 

"  I  watched  'em  after  that,  and  I  found  out  where  the 
old  man  kept  the  elixir  he  was  getting  ready  for  John 
to  give  Nancy  Blodge.  As  he  didn't  suspect  me,  it  was 
easy  enough  for  me  to  get  at  it  and  see  what  it  looked 
like.  He  put  the  bottle  in  a  private  drawer  of  his  desk, 
bat  I  knew  how  to  open  that  as  well  as  he  did,  and  I 
took  a  vial  exactly  like  the  one  he  used,  and  made  a 
29 


466       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

mixture  of  soda,  with  a  little  arnotto  to  color  it,  and  a 
few  drops  of  violet  perfumery. 

"  Mr.  Spiers  sealed  up  his  bottle  with  red  wax,  and 
put  a  strip  of  paper  on  the  outside,  with  six  marks  upon 
it,  to  show  that  six  drops  must  be  given  at  one  dose. 
I  made  up  mine  exactly  like  it,  and  put  his  back  in  the 
drawer,  keeping  possession  of  the  other.  I  got  posses- 
sion of  his  afterward,  and  I  have  it  now  with  the  seal 
unbroken,  and  I  will  give  it  to  you  to  be  analyzed,  Mr. 
Desmond." 

Spiers  at  this  uttered  a  groan,  and  cried  out : 

"He  is  making  the  whole  story  up;  there's  not  a 
word  of  truth  in  it.  If  there  is  poison  in  that  bottle  he 
has  put  it  in  himself,  that  he  may  ruin  me  and  my  eon, 
good  as  I  have  been  to  him." 

"  Silence  !  "  said  Desmond,  sternly.  "  Your  denials 
signify  nothing,  and  only  interrupt  the  business  in 
hand." 

Then  turning  to  Beal,  he  said : 

"  I  hope  you  have  that  bottle  at  hand.  Time  is  pre- 
cious. It  is  my  wish  to  get  to  my  daughter  as  soon  as 
possible,  that  I  may  protect  her  from  the  machinations 
of  that  wretched  hound." 

With  sudden  fire,  Spiers  cried  out : 

"  He's  no  more  a  dog  than  you  are,  Reginald  Des- 
mond, and  he'll  yet  save  himself  and  torture  you,  by 
marrying  the  girl  before  you  can  reach  her.  You  had 
better  mind  how  you  disgrace  us,  for  your  daughter  will 
be  John's  wife  before  you  get  to  Riverdale,  as  sure  as 
you  are  standing  there." 

Desmond  glared  on  him,  and  with  pale  lips,  said : 

"  In  that  case,  I  will  pursue  him  and  kill  him  with  my 


YOUNG   SEAL'S   STOKY.  467 

own  hand.  Do  you  think  I  would  trust  my  child  with 
him  for  an  hour,  when  I  know  that  it  is  his  purpose  to 
possess  himself  of  her  fortune,  and  then  put  her  out  of 
the  way,  that  he  may  marry  that  fiend  in  woman's  shape, 
Claudia  Coyle?" 

"  It  will  be  an  even  chance  which  will  get  killed  if 
you  do  follow  him,  and  John  isn't  the  man  to  be  taken 
by  surprise.  He'll  have  the  girl,  and  her  money  too. 
I've  got  over  my  scare  now,  and  you'll  see  that  we'll 
fight  you  to  the  bitter  end,  and  win  in  the  long  run 
too." 

Mr.  Clifford  here  spoke : 

"  This  is  wasting  time.  Be  silent,  prisoner,  for  I  hold 
you  as  such,  and  do  not  dare  to  interrupt  again.  Beal, 
tell  us  as  briefly  as  possible  what  remains  to  be  told." 

"Yes,  sir;  I'll  come  to  the  end  quickly  now.  I 
carried  that  bottle  about  me,  and  followed  up  John 
Spiers  sharp  enough.  Nancy's  shanty  was  on  my 
mother's  land,  and  I  kept  an  eye  on  her  every  night, 
because  I  knew  that  whoever  went  to  see  her,  generally 
went  after  dark.  I  saw  John  go  to  her  cabin,  and  I 
listened  outside.  It  was  easy  enough  to  hear  all  that 
went  on,  and  to  see  too,  for  that  matter,  for  there  was 
plenty  of  cracks  in  the  walls.  I  heard  the  bargain  he 
made  with  her  to  give  the  bottle  he  brought  with  him  to 
Dolly,  Miss  Desmond's  nurse,  in  place  of  the  one  the  old 
crone  had  prepared  for  her. 

"  The  woman  came  before  Spiers  went  away,  but  as  he 
was  disguised  with  a  gray  wig  she  did  not  know  him. 
When  he  left  the  women  talked  together,  and  I  saw  the 
bottle  old  Spiers  had  prepared  given  to  Dolly,  and  she, 
poor  old  fool,,  thought  it  was  a  real  love-charm,  that 


468       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

would  bring  good  luck  to  her  young  mistress.  I  watched 
for  her  on  the  road,  and  stopped  her  with  some  nonsense. 
I  bantered  her  till  she  let  me  look  at  the  bottle  she 
carried  so  carefully,  and  while  pretending  to  examine  it, 
I  made  the  exchange  I  desired,  and  sent  her  off  with  a 
preparation  that  was  harmless  as  water.  The  poison  I 
locked  up  in  a  box  at  home,  and  I've  carried  the  key 
about  me  ever  since.  I  can  run  home,  get  it,  and  be 
back  in  half  an  hour." 

"You  have  done  bravely  and  well,  Beal,"  said  Mr. 
Clifford,  warmly ;  "  but  why  have  you  kept  silent  so 
long?  You  should  have  gone  to  Mr.  Desmond  at  once, 
and  stated  all  you  knew." 

"  I  see  that  I  ought  now,  but  I  wanted  to  trap  John 
and  pay  him  back ;  and  I  waited  to  see  what  he  would 
do  when  the»old  lady  didn't  die.  When  I  saw  the  paper 
this  morniijlp'  and  found  her  death  in  it,  I  was  scared,  I 
tell  you,  and  I  ran  back  here  to  get  leave  to  go  home  an 
hour  or  two,  intending  to  go  to  Mr.  Desmond's  house 
and  tellJiim  all  I  knew.  I  found  him  here,  and  that  is 
all  I  have  to  tell." 

"And  that  is  enough,  George;  you  have  saved  my 
child,  and  made  a  friend  for  life  in  me.  Leave  this 
accursed  house  and  come  with  me.  I  will  care  for  you 
and  yours  in  future  myself,  and  thanks  to  Mrs.  Adair's 
liberality,  I  am  able  to  do  it." 

"  I'll  be  very  glad  to  get  away,  Mr.  Desmond ;  for  I 
am  sick  and  tired  of  the  way  I've  been  treated.  If  the 
little  I  earned  hadn't  been  so  important  to  my  mother,  I 
would  never  have  stayed  this  long.  "When  I  changed 
the  bottles,  I  didn't  think  of  anything  but  getting  Miss 
Clare  out  of  a  bad  scrape;  but  I'll  be  very  glad  if  you 


YOUNG    SEAL'S    STORY.  469 

can  help  me  to  get  away  from  old  Spiers.  He  and  I 
don't  suit  each  other." 

"  I  should  think  not,  indeed.  Honesty  and  baseness 
rarely  do.  You  are  quit  of  him  now,  my  lad,  for- 
ever." 

"So  you  may  all  think,"  said  Spiers,  with  vicious 
emphasis,  "but  you'll  find  yourselves  mistaken.  I'll 
yet  prove  all  that  boy  has  stated  a  vile  fabrication,  and 
I'll  make  Clare  Desmond  plead  for  mercy  on  her  bended 
knees.  She  destroyed  her  aunt,  and  all  this  is  got  up  to 
screen  her  from  the  punishment  she  richly  deserves. 
You'll  find  out,  Reggy  Desmond,  that  you'll  not  have 
things  all  your  own  way.  You  have  attacked  me  in  my 
own  house,  which  is  my  castle,  and  I'll  have  the  law  of 
you  for  that.  I'll  indict  you  for  conspiracy  against  an 
honest  man,  and  unless  that  girl  of  yours  marries  my 
son,  I'll  bring  her  to  the  halter— that's  whaf  I'll  do." 

Spiers  looked  frightful,  as  he  raved  thus.  The  pallor 
of  his  face  had  changed  to  a  blotched  purple  hue,  and 
his  eyes  were  injected  with  blood.  In  his  impotent  rage, 
he  had  bitten  his  lower  lip  through,  and  a  small  stream 
of  blood  trickled  down  on  his  white  shirt  bosom. 

Mr.  Clifford  attentively  regarded  him,  and  then  said : 

"  This  is  simply  raving,  Mr.  Spiers.  Miss  Desmond  is 
safe,  and  the  villany  of  yourself  and  your  son  must  recoil 
upon  your  own  heads.  I  am  something  of  a  medical 
man,  and  I  see  in  your  face  indications  that  are  not  to  be 
mistaken.  If  you  do  not  calm  yourself,  you  will  be  in 
no  condition  to  do  anything  in  half  an  hour  from  this 
time." 

"  I  don't  believe  you.  I  am  strong,  and  well  as  any 
one,  and  you  are  only  trying  to  frighten  me,  that  I  may 


470       A     NEW     WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

turn  into  a  puling  idiot,  and  confess  all  that  you  would 
like  to  have  said,  that  Clare  Desmond  may  be  saved  from 
the  fate  she  has  earned  for  herself.  Go  to  the  deuce  with 
your  predictions.  I  want  none  of  them." 

Clifford  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  have  warned  you,  and  I  know  what  I  say.  I  will 
tell  you  something  before  you  fall  into  a  fit,  which  will 
show  you  that  another  avenger  has  been  on  your  track 
besides  young  Beal.  I  accidentally  saw  Miss  Desmond 
mixing  something  with  the  night  draught  of  her  aunt, 
and  without  letting  her  know  what  I  had  seen,  I  re- 
moved the  lemonade,  and  prepared  more  myself  for  Mrs. 
Adair's  use.  My  son  is  a  good  chemist  and  he  analyzed 
the  liquid  J  carried  to  him.  We  found  nothing  dele- 
terious in  it,  but  we  took  the  precaution  to  renew  the 
draught  every  night,  after  the  poor  child  had  tampered 
with  it,  in  the  innocent  belief  that  she  was  only  winning 
the  old  lady  over  to  love  her.  We  have  a  portion  of 
that  lemonade  sealed  up,  that  others  may  judge  of  it  as 
we  did.  To  make  assurance  doubly  sure,  there  was  a 
post-mortem  examination  of  Mrs.  Adair's  stomach,  and 
not  a  trace  of  poison  was  found.  She  died  of  aneurism  of 
the  heart,  from  which  she  had  suffered  for  several  years." 

As  Mr.  Clifford  went  on,  speaking  with  deliberate 
impressi veness,  a  glassy  expression  came  into  the  hard 
eyes  that  were  lifted  to  his,  and  there  was  a  faint  twitch- 
ing of  the  lower  part  of  the  discolored  face.  When  he 
had  finished  speaking,  Spiers  muttered  : 

"Baffled— baffled  at  every  point!"  and  fell  forward 
on  the  floor,  writhing  and  moaning  as  if  in  pain. 

When  they  lifted  him,  blood  was  flowing  from  his 
mouth,  and  Mr.  Desmond  said : 


YOUNG   SEAL'S   STORY.  471 

"A  higher  power  has  saved  us  from  the  trouble  of 
dealing  with  him ;  there  will  soon  be  one  reptile  less  on 
the  face  of  this  fair  earth,  which  he,  and  such  as  he, 
endeavor  to  make  a  pandemonium.  He  may  not  die, 
though  he  is  very  ill.  We  had  better  call  his  wife  to 
look  after  him  ;  but  to  make  sure  of  him,  I  shall  leave  a 
policeman  in  charge  of  the  house,  with  injunctions  to 
keep  a  strict  watch  over  him." 

At  that  moment  the  rear  door  of  the  room  was  sud- 
denly burst  open,  and  a  tall  Amazon,  with  dark  hair  and 
flashing  eyes,  bounded  in. 

"  What's  all  this  here  todo,  and  why  is  the  front  door 
shut  up  in  business  hours  ?  A  nice  way  to  make  money 
that  is,  to  be  sure.  What's  to  pay,  I  say  ?  " 

Desmond  knew  her  by  sight,  and  he  stepped  forward, 
and  said : 

"  Your  husband  has  been  taken  suddenly  ill,  Mrs. 
Spiers,  and  we  were  just  about  to  send  you  word." 

"You  here,  Mr.  Desmond?  I  don't  know  how  you 
dared  to  show  your  face  in  this  house,  after  what's  passed 
between  you  and  my  husband.  What  have  you  been 
doin'  to  him  to  make  him  like  this?" 

"  We — my  friend  and  I — have  been  telling  him  some 
plain  truths ;  that  is  all,  madam.  Mr.  Spiers  had  better 
be  taken  to  his  room,  and  a  physician  sent  for.  He  is  in 
a  dangerous  condition." 

"If  he  is,  you've  put  him  in  it,  and  I'll  have  you 
arrested  for  it,"  was  the  fierce  reply.  "  What  do  you 
mean  by  coming  into  our  house,  and  using  its  master 
this  here  way  ?  " 

"I  mean  to  have  justice,  madam  ;  but  that  is  out  of 
the  question  just  at  present.  If  your  husband  had  not 


472        A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE 

fallen  into  a  fit  he  would  have  slept  in  jail  to-night.  For 
the  present  he  will  only  be  watched  over  by  a  policeman, 
to  see  that  he  does  not  escape." 

"  Escape  what  ?  "  and  she  burst  into  a  volley  of  vio- 
lent abuse,  which  the  gentlemen  were  glad  to  escape  by 
going  away,  and  taking  Beal  with  them. 

A  crowd  had  Legun  to  collect  in  front  of  the  door, 
curious  to  ascertain  why  it  was  closed  during  business 
hours,  and  in  a  few  moments  Mrs.  Spiers  had  more 
assistance  than  she  needed  to  convey  her  husband  to  the 
upper  apartments. 

It  was  several  hours  before  he  became  conscious,  but 
when  he  could  speak,  he  whispered  to  his  wife: 

"  The  only  chance  left  is,  that  John  •will  nab  her 
before  they  get  to  Riverdale.  He's  safe  to  do  it;  so  have 
the  parson  ready  as  soon  as  they  get  in  the  house.  When 
they're  once  married,  all  will  be  right  enough." 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

JASPER'S  MISTAKE. 

E  two  gentlemen  first  went  to  a  magistrate's 
office,  taking  Beal  with  them,  and  there  a  formal 
deposition  was  made,  and  three  warrants  issued  for  the 
arrest  of  Spiers  and  his  son,  and  for  Claudia  Coyle. 

A  policeman  took  up  his  watch  in  the  apartment  of 
the  sick  man,  and  two  others,  it  was  arranged,  should 
accompany  the  party  to  Riverdale,  and,  if  possible, 


JASPER'S     MISTAKE.  473 

secure  their  quarry  before  they  were  warned  of  the 
danger  that  menaced  them. 

Mr.  Desmond  went  with  Beal  himself  to  the  house  of 
his  mother,  and  took  possession  of  the  elixir  prepared 
by  Spiers.  This  was  sealed  in  a  box,  and  delivered  to 
the  magistrate,  to  be  produced  when  necessary.  By 
eleven  o'clock  all  was  in  readiness  for  their  departure, 
and  Math  a  jubilant  heart,  Mr.  Clifford  saw  the  last 
glimpse  of  the  town  as  the  steamer  ploughed  her  way 
toward  the  bourne  they  were  now  so  anxious  to  gain. 

But  the  hearts  of  the  parents  were  heavy  with  dread, 
which  they  would  not  express,  lest  one  might  sadden 
the  other.  There  was  a  dark  presentiment  that  all 
would  not  be  found  well  with  Clare,  though  neither 
could  have  explained  why  they  mistrusted  the  assurances 
of  Mr.  Clifford  that  no  danger  could  reach  her,  guarded 
as  she  was  by  the  watchful  love  of  Jasper,  and  the  con- 
stant presence  of  Judith  Brooke. 

Clare  was  ill — half  distraught  with  fear  and  remorse ; 
they  had  discovered  from  Mr.  Clifford,  that  it  was 
doubtful  if  she  understood  him  when  he  tried  to  explain 
to  her  that  the  drops  she  had  given  her  aunt  had  been 
analyzed,  and  nothing  injurious  found  in  them;  and  if 
Spiers  or  his  accomplice  could  find  means  to  approach 
her,  they  would  work  on  her  fears  till  she  might  consent 
to  any  course  that  would  save  her  from  the  disgrace 
and  horror  of  a  public  trial.  Both  Mr.  Desmond  and 
his  wife  knew  Clare  to  be  impulsive,  easily  wrought  on, 
and  from  childhood,  there  had  been  a  dash  of  reckless- 
ness in  her  temper,  when  driven  to  bay,  which  had 
sometimes  happened  even  under  her  mother's  loving 
rule,  and  they  could  not  rid  themselves  of  the  dreary 
weight  of  apprehension  that  oppressed  them. 


474      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

The  day  was  charming,  the  scenery  lovely,  and  the 
associations  connected  with  different  points  on  the  river 
thrilling,  or  romantic;  but  all  had  lost  its  charm  for 
hearts  only  occupied  with  their  own  fears  for  the  safety 
of  one  who  was  indeed  in  deep  peril ;  who,  unconscious 
that  deliverance  was  on  its  way  to  her,  was  despairingly 
giving  herself  up  to  the  fate  she  dreaded  far  more  than 
death,  yet  which  she  believed  she  could  not  evade. 

Clare  passed  the  day  which  followed  her  interview 
with  Claudia  in  a  state  of  mind  bordering  so  nearly  on 
delirium,  that  she  could  scarcely  be  considered  respon- 
sible for  any  madness  she  might  commit. 

The  blackness  of  darkness  seemed  to  have  settled 
over  her  life,  and  more  than  once  she  was  tempted  to 
take  it.  But  she  had  been  too  religiously  reared  not  to 
shrink  from  the  thought  of  self-destruction,  and  she 
despairingly  thought : 

"The  end  will  come  soon  enough  without  using 
violence  toward  myself.  Since  I  must  give  myself  to 
that  dreadful  man,  or  suffer  even  a  worse  fate  than  to 
become  his  wife,  I  will  go  on  the  path  appointed  me, 
hoping  that  my  trial  will  be  brief.  God  will  have 
mercy,  and  let  my  poor  heart  speedily  break  under  the 
load  it  will  have  to  bear." 

When  Judith  awoke  in  the  morning,  she  felt  self- 
condemned  that  she  had  been  untrue  to  the  trust  she  had 
undertaken.  She  could  not  understand  how  she  had 
fallen  asleep,  nor  why  she  was  so  overcome  with  drowsi- 
ness as  to  be  oblivious  of  her  charge  for  so  many  hours. 
She  suspected  that  there  had  been  foul  play,  and  she 
questioned  Clare  closely  as  to  what  had  happened  during 
the  night. 


JASPER'S   MISTAKE.  475 

Her  replies  were  so  strange  and  irrelevant  that  Judith 
could  glean  nothing  satisfactory  from  them,  and  she  re- 
luctantly carne  to  the  conclusion  that  the  mind  of  her 
patient  was  less  clear  than  on  the  previous  day.  She 
was  also  more  feverish,  and  when  Jasper  came  up  to  see 
her  after  the  morning  meal  was  over,  he  was  so  much 
alarmed  by  her  condition  that  he  prohibited  much 
talking,  and  himself  administered  a  sedative,  which  he 
hoped  would  allay  the  nervous  irritation  from  which  she 
was  evidently  suffering. 

He  sat  with  her  the  greater  part  of  the  morning, 
reading  aloud  to  her,  in  the  hope  that  the  monotonous 
flow  of  sound  would  lull  her  into  slumber.  She  lay  so 
still  that  he  was  deceived  into  thinking  that  she  slept, 
when  she  only  lay  perfectly  quiet,  with  her  arm  thrown 
up  in  such  a  position  that  she  could  look  from  beneath 
it  upon  the  dear  face  she  believed  she  was  looking  on 
for  the  last  time ;  for  see  him  after  she  became  the  prop- 
erty of  John  Spiers,  she  had  made  up  her  mind  she 
never  would. 

When  he  at  last  arose  softly,  and  was  about  to  sum- 
mon Lyra  to  sit  with  her  till  Miss  Brooke  returned,  she 
lifted  her  arm  and  faintly  said : 

"  Kiss  me  before  you  go,  Jasper.  You  are  so  good  to 
me,  that  I  wish  to  make  the  only  return  I  can  for  all 
your  kindness.'' 

"  The  only  return,  my  darling  ?  A  kiss  from  you  is  a 
great  delight,  but  the  love  of  which  it  is  the  sign  and 
symbol  is  a  far  more  precious  possession." 

"  It  is  yours,  Jasper.  Let  what  will  happen,  remem- 
ber that  I  love  you,  and  you  alone  j  that  I  will  never 
cease  to  love  you  while  my  brief  span  of  life  lasts.  I 


476       A     NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A     FOETUNE. 

shall  not  live  long,  dearest.  When  I  am  gone,  you  will 
forgive  all — all — " 

Her  voice  sunk  suddenly,  as  if  courage  and  hope  had 
both  deserted  her,  though  she  was  in  the  arms  of  her 
lover,  and  her  head  lay  upon  his  breast. 

"  You  must  not  speak  in  this  way,  Clare.  You  are 
in  no  real  danger.  Only  be  calm  and  hopeful,  and  you 
will  soon  be  strong  and  bright  as  ever." 

She  burst  into  a  violent  passion  of  weeping,  and  at 
intervals  sobbed : 

"  Oh,  Jasper !  I  am  doomed !  doomed !  Nothing  can 
help  me  now ;  but  when  all  is  over,  you  will  pity  me ; 
you  will  come  to  my  grave  and  shed  a  few  tears  over  it." 

She  was  trembling  violently,  and  fearful  of  exciting 
her  still  more,  dreading  the  effect  of  such  extreme 
agitation  on  the  mind  that  had  never  been  perfectly  clear 
since  the  night  that  cruel  letter  reached  her,  Jasper 
replaced  her  on  her  pillows,  and  tenderly  said : 

"You  must  not  talk  in  this  gloomy  way,  Clare.  I 
came  to  you  this  morning  in  the  hope  that  you  would 
be  composed  enough  to  understand  something  I  have  to 
explain  to  you.  But  I  find  you  more  nervous,  and  less 
able  to  control  yourself  than  heretofore.  Believe  me, 
darling,  when  I  assure  you  that  our  future  is  bright — 
that  you  have  nothing  to  fear." 

Clare  seemed  scarcely  to  heed  his  words.  "With  a 
faint,  weary  sigh,  she  said  : 

"  Good-by,  Jasper.  Leave  me  now,  for  I  must  rest. 
I — I  have  a  great  deal  before  me,  and  I  must  gather  my 
strength  for — for  it  don't  matter  what,  but  something 
that  I  have  to  do." 

She  spoke  so  strangely  that   he  thought  her  mind 


JASPER'S   MISTAKE.  477 

wandered ;  but  for  that  he  would  have  explained  to  her 
the  precautions  his  father  and  himself  had  taken  to 
prove  to  the  world  that  the  elixir  she  had  given  her 
aunt  was  simply  colored  water,  with  a  few  grains  of 
soda  dissolved  in  it. 

Mr.  Clifford  had  already  told  her  this,  but  she  was 
delirious  at  the  time,  and  there  was  no  memory  of  it  in 
her  half-dazed  mind  now.  The  one  awful  horror  that 
was  crushing  her  down,  and  bringing  her  surely  within 
the  grasp  of  John  Spiers,  was  the  belief  that  she  was 
really  guilty  of  the  crime  of  which  Claudia  had  accused 
her.  If  Jasper  had  spoken  then,  she  would  have  been 
turned  from  the  fearful  step  she  was  about  to  take,  to 
save  herself,  she  believed,  from  the  punishment  of  the 
deed  she  had  so  innocently  committed. 

The  picture  Claudia  had  sketched  of  herself,  arraigned 
as  a  murderess  before  a  crowd  of  curious  or  jeering  spec- 
tators, was  ever  before  her  mental  vision,  and  in  her 
childish  desperation  she  was  ready  to  do  anything,  how- 
ever repugnant,  to  save  herself  from  such  a  fate  as 
that. 

Jasper  made  the  mistake  so  often  committed  by  those 
in  charge  of  invalids  more  sick  at  heart  than  from  physi- 
cal causes.  Fearful  of  exciting  her  too  much,  if  he 
spoke  of  the  charge  that  could  be  so  easily  refuted,  he 
thought  it  best  to  soothe  her  by  the  assurance  so  often 
given  her  in  vain,  that  she  was  quite  safe  and  their 
future  unclouded. 

That  was  told  her  only  to  keep  her  quiet,  she  thought ; 
they  hoped  to  save  her,  but  after  what  Claudia  had  said, 
there  was  no  chance  for  that.  John  Spiers  held  her  fate 
in  his  hands,  and  he  would  be  ruthless  if  she  did  not 


478       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

win  his  forbearance  by  the  sacrifice  of  herself  to  the  wild 
passion  she  believed  he  felt  for  her. 

Before  Jasper  came  to  her,  Clare  had  insisted  on  being 
dressed  and  placed  on  the  wide  sofa  between  the  two 
front  windows.  Her  malady  was  mental,  and  her 
physical  strength  had  not  materially  declined,  so  she 
knew  that  when  the  time  for  action  arrived,  she  would 
have  the  power  to  fulfil  her  promise  to  Claudia,  to  drag 
herself  to  the  arbor  and  accept  the  doom  which  was 
more  dreadful  to  her  than  death  itself. 

When  Jasper  left  her,  Judith  came  up ;  but  to  all  her 
efforts  to  cheer  her  or  draw  her  into  conversation,  Clare 
only  replied  by  an  impatient  movement,  and  at  last 
almost  fretfully  said : 

"  Please  excuse  me,  Miss  Judith ;  my  head  is  in  a 
whirl,  and  my  heart  is  half  broken.  Just  let  me  alone, 
if  you  really  care  for  me.  I  must  try  to  quiet  myself 
for  what  lies  before  me." 

Miss  Brooke  imagined  she  referred  to  the  arrival  of 
her  mother,  and  like  Jasper,  she  thought  it  best  to  humor 
the  sick  girl  and  keep  her  quiet  at  all  hazards.  She 
found  a  book  that  was  suitable  to  read  aloud,  and  her 
voice  exerted  a  more  soothing  effect  than  that  of  Jasper, 
for  Clare  fell  asleep,  and  did  not  wake  till  after  luncheon 
was  over. 

Lyra  brought  her  up  tea  and  toast,  and  a  broiled  bird  ; 
and  remembering  that  she  must  not  faint  from  lack  of 
food  before  the  purpose  now  fully  matured  in  her  mind 
was  accomplished,  Clare  forced  herself  to  eat,  though 
every  morsel  seemed  to  choke  her. 

Claudia  had  not  yet  appeared  below  stairs,  but  when 
luncheon  was  over,  she  came  down  with  her  hat  on;  and 


JASPER'S   MISTAKE.  479 

a  parasol  in  her  hand,  and  said  to  Miss  Brooke,  as  she 
passed  her  in  the  hall : 

"  I  have  an  engagement  for  this  afternoon  which  will 
detain  me  till  after  Mrs.  Desmond  arrives.  "When  I 
return,  I  will  speak  with  her,  and  I  think  she  will  be 
more  just  to  me  than  you  have  been,  Miss  Brooke." 

"  I  have  nothing  further  to  say  to  you  on  any  subject, 
Miss  Coyle,"  said  Judith,  drawing  herself  haughtily 
aside.  "Since  you  are  going,  I  think  it  will  be  best  .for 
you,  and  for  those  you  leave  behind  you,  that  you  should 
never  return  here  at  all." 

Claudia  flashed  a  single  glance  of  hatred  and  defiance 
upon  her,  but  the  next  moment  she  was  tranquil  as 
usual,  and  with  a  cruel  smile  replied : 

"  I  do  not  quite  agree  with  you.  Before  I  go,  I  owe 
a  duty  to  myself,  which  can  only  be  performed  here.  I 
shall  come  back  to  see  Mrs.  Desmond,  and  make  such 
explanations  as  are  necessary.  Au  revoir,  Miss  Judith. 
You  can  enjoy  your  lover's  society  without  fear  now, 
as  I  shall  not  be  here  to  intrude  on  your  precious 
charge." 

Mr.  Bowden  was  not  far  distant,  and  as  Claudia 
swept  down  the  steps,  and  moved  away  with  the  lithe, 
elastic  tread  which  showed  the  perfect  physical  devel- 
opment to  which  she  owed  half  her  charms,  he  laughed, 
and  said : 

"  What  a  clipper  she  is,  Judith  !  and  how  condescend- 
ing of  her  to  tell  you  that  you  may  freely  devote  your- 
self to  me  this  afternoon.  I  hope  you'll  do  it,  dear, 
for  I  have  not  yet  found  the  opportunity  to  say  to  you 
half  that  I  wish.  We  have  so  many  years  of  estrange- 
ment to  make  up  for,  you  know." 


480       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

"Not  estrangement,  William,  for  we  were  always 
faithful  to  each  other ;  and  we  both  had  faith  to  believe 
that  my  father  would  relent  at  last.  I  would  gladly 
stay  with  you  if  I  were  certain  that  this  pretended 
absence  of  Claudia  Coyle  is  not  a  ruse.  She  may  slip 
back  -and  get  into  Clare's  room,  if  I  am  not  on  guard, 
and  I  feel  responsible  to  Mr.  Clifford.  I  am  not  quite 
easy  in  my  mind  about  what  happened  last  night.  I 
have  not  felt  quite  right  all  day,  and  I  begin  to  think 
that  I  may  have  been  drugged.  But  if  that  girl  got 
into  Clare's  room,  she  would  surely  have  raised  an 
alarm,  or  have  told  me  to-day  what  passed  between 
them." 

"I  think  you  alarm  yourself  unnecessarily  about 
Miss  Desmond.  I  hardly  think  Claudia  Coyle  would 
attempt  to  meddle  with  you  in  any  way ;  you  were  only 
worn  out  with  watching,  and  slept  more  soundly  than 
usual ;  that  was  all." 

Judith  shook  her  head  dubiously,  but  she  made  no 
other  reply.  She  watched  Claudia  till  she  was  lost 
sight  of  beyond  the  trees,  and  then  said : 

"  I  believe  the  serpent  has  fairly  trailed  herself  away 
this  time,  and  for  a  few  hours  all  will  be  safe.  I  must 
go  to  Clare  now,  but  I  promise  to  come  back  as  soon  as 
I  can,  and  remain  with  you  as  long  as  I  can." 

Clare  was  lying  with  a  handkerchief  thrown  over  her 
face  to  conceal  from  observation  the  dire  struggle  that 
was  going  on  in  her  soul,  and  Judith  sat  down  quietly, 
thinking  her  asleep. 

She  had  brought  up  a  book  with  her,  in  which  she 
soon  became  absorbed,  and  the  time  passed  on  almost 
unnoted.  At  four  o'clock  Jasper  was  to  go  to  the  land- 


JASPER'S   MISTAKE.  481 

ing  to  meet  Mrs.  Desmond,  and  he  looked  in  a  moment 
before  starting. 

Judith  pressed  her  finger  on  her  lip,  and  pointed  to 
the  motionless  figure  of  the  poor  girl,  who  lay  like  one 
in  a  horrible  trance,  weighed  down  to  the  dust  by  the 
thought  of  her  evasion,  yet  resolved  to  accomplish  it,  if 
life  and  strength  were  granted  her  to  do  so.  She  made 
no  sign,  though  every  echo  of  her  lover's  footfall,  as  he 
moved  away,  fell  on  her  heart  as  a  knell  to  hope  and 
happiness. 

Finding  her  so  quiet,  and  certain  that  Claudia  was 
really  gone,  Judith  remembered  her  promise  to  her 
betrothed,  and  she  softly  left  the  room,  and  sent  Lyra  to 
take  her  place. 

The  girl  came,  but  in  half  an  hour  the  heat  of  the 
afternoon,  and  the  loss  of  rest  for  several  nights  past, 
told  on  her,  and  she  leaned  her  head  down  on  a  table 
near  her,  and  fell  into  a  deep  sleep. 

Then  the  handkerchief  was  withdrawn  from  the  wild, 
white  face  it  had  shaded,  and  wrought  up  to  the  utmost 
pitch  of  endurance,  Clare  noiselessly  arose,  threw  a  dark 
shawl  over  her  white  wrapper,  and  glided  from  the 
room.  There  was  a  back  staircase  at  the  end  of  the 
hall,  and  she  swiftly  descended  this,  and  passed  un- 
seen through  a  side  entrance  which  opened  on  the 
lawn. 

Then  her  courage  almost  failed  her;  something  whis- 
pered that  she  had  better  await  the  arrival  of  her 
mother,  and  take  counsel  with  her  before  she  took  this 
desperate  step.  But  the  flitting  gleam  of  correct  reason- 
ing was  soon  obscured,  and  spurred  on  by  the  goading 
fears  Claudia  had  aroused,  she  moved  swiftly  down  the 
30 


482      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

pathway  leading  to  the  arbor,  scarcely  conscious  of  what 
she  was  doing. 

In  the  meantime  Claudia  had  taken  refuge  in  the 
same  retreat,  and  waited  there  as  patiently  as  she  could 
till  her  fellow-conspirator  made  his  appearance. 

The  arbor  was  a  rustic  bower  covered  with  wild  vines, 
which  stood  in  a  grove  of  trees  on  the  lower  end  of  the 
grounds,  more  than  half  a  mile  distant  from  the  house. 
It  was  rarely  resorted  to,  and  at  that  hour  of  the  day 
was  as  safe  and  sequestered  a  place  of  meeting  as  could 
have  been  selected. 

The  time  passed  very  slowly  to  Claudia,  and  the  two 
hours  that  elapsed  before  Spiers  joined  her  seemed  as  if 
they  would  never  come  to  an  end.  He  had  laid  aside 
his  disguise,  and  was  carefully  and  handsomely  dressed. 

Claudia  frowned  slightly  as  she  remarked  the  care 
with  which  his  toilet  was  made,  and  almost  sharpjy 
said: 

"  You  wish  to  make  a  good  impression  on  the  namby- 
pamby  baby  you  are  going  to  meet,  I  suppose,  and  that 
is  why  you  have  kept  me  waiting  so  long  while  you 
were  making  such  an  Adonis  of  yourself?" 

He  snatched  her  to  his  breast,  and  after  kissing  her 
again  and  again,  said,  with  a  laugh : 

"You  know  better  than  that,  my  adorable.  It  is 
true  that  she  must  see  me  at  my  best,  but  I  thought  only 
of  you  while  I  was  removing  that  odious  disguise  and 
making  myself  presentable  once  more.  Since  you  are 
here,  all  is  right,  I  suppose?" 

"  Yes ;  I  outgeneralled  them  all,  and  in  spite  of  their 
precautions  I  saw  and  spoke  with  her  last  night.  I 
made  her  see  that  her  only  chance  to  save  herself  from 


JASPER'S   MISTAKE.  483 

the  ruin  and  degradation  of  a  criminal  prosecution  is  to 
accept  you  as  her  protector.  Ha !  ha !  I  think  she  is 
half  mad  now,  John,  and  she  will  be  wholly  so  before 
she  has  been  in  your  power  long." 

"So  much  the  better,"  he  coolly  replied;  "then  I 
could  manage  her  to  suit  myself,  and  get  rid  of  her  at 
my  own  option.  Don't  be  jealous,  Claudia,  for  I  swear 
to  you  you  will  have  no  cause.  I  must  wear  the  matri- 
monial yoke  a  few  months  to  make  sure  of  the  money, 
but  when  that  is  safe  we  will  know  how  to  enjoy  it 
together ;  eh  !  my  beautiful  ?  " 

"  I  think  we  shall ;  but  are  you  sure  that  your 
arrangements  are  such  as  cannot  be  interfered  with  ?  " 

"  I  think  they  are  safe.  My  horse  is  fastened  securely 
not  far  from  here.  Like  a  paladin  of  old,  I  will  take 
my  prize  in  my  arms  and  gallop  away  to  the  cottage  in 
which  I  have  so  long  vegetated  with  old  Mrs.  Brown 
and  her  cub  of  a  son.  The  young  man  will  do  anything 
for  money,  and  I  have  promised  him  a  hundred  dollars 
to  help  me  off  with  the  heiress.  I  have  made  arrange- 
ments with  the  clerk  of  the  steamer  that  comes  down 
stream  to-night,  to  lie  off  in  front  of  old  mother  Brown's 
house  till  I  can  come  out  in  a  boat  with  my  bride  and 
get  aboard.  Once  safe  in  my  father's  house,  all  will  be 
in  readiness  for  the  bridal,  and  you  may  be  sure  no  time 
will  be  lost.  I  shall  take  Clare  with  me  to  the  north, 
and  keep  out  of  the  way  of  Desmond  till  his  wrath  has 
time  to  cool.  It  will  depend  on  himself  whether  he  ever 
sees  his  daughter  again." 

Claudia  vindictively  said  : 

"Xever  allow  her  to  hope  for  a  reunion  with  her 
familv  till  her  will  is  made  in  your  favor.  After  that  is 


484      A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

done,  you  will  be  a  greater  fool  than  I  take  you  to  be, 
if  you  permit  her  to  live  long  enough  to  tell  any  one 
interested  in  her,  by  what  means  she  was  coerced  into 
giving  you  the  whole  of  her  aunt's  large  property." 

Spiers  laughed. 

"  You  may  trust  me  to  take  care  of  my  own  interests, 
Claudia ;  and  you  may  be  sure  that  the  sooner  I  can  rid 
myself  of  such  an  incubus,  with  safety  to  myself,  the 
more  agreeable  it  will  be  to  me.  You  will  go  to  Naples, 
as  we  have  settled,  and  I  will  set  out  to  take  my  wife 
there,  to  spend  the  winter  for  the  benefit  of  her  health. 
Ha !  ha !  She'll  never  see  the  tropic  verdure  of  the 
Italian  paradise ;  she'll  die  suddenly  on  her  way  there, 
and  I  don't  think  there  will  be  much  time  given  to 
mourning  before  I  find  a  successor  for  her." 

Both  laughed  in  concert  at  this  hideous  pleasantry, 
and  Claudia  presently  said : 

"I  would  gladly  go  away  at  once;  but  to  avoid  a 
suspicion  of  collusion  between  us,  I  think  I  had  better 
remain  till  after  Mrs.  Adair's  will  is  read.  I  know  that 
she  has  left  me  nothing,  but  that  does  not  signify,  since 
our  cleverness  will  secure  to  us  the  enjoyment  of  all  her 
wealth." 

"  But  if  Clare  shouldn't  come  after  all,"  said  Spiers, 
with  sudden  uneasiness.  "  It  is  getting  late,  and  the 
steamer  will  soon  be  at  the  landing.  Confound  it !  what 
does  she  mean  by  keeping  me  waiting  on  her  in  this  way  ? 
I'll  pay  her  out  for  all  she's  made  me  suffer,  when  I  once 
have  her  in  my  power." 

Claudia  paled  slightly  at  the  possibility  that  Clare 
might  fail  to  come,  and  she  hurriedly  said  : 

"  I  will  go  toward  the  house  and  see  if  she  is  on  the 


THE     ABDUCTION-  485 

way.  Jasper  is  gone  to  meet  Mrs.  Desmond,  and  the 
ancient  turtle-doves  left  on  guard  will  be  so  much 
occupied  with  each  other,  that  I  fear  no  interruption 
from  them.  Clare  is  weak  and  half  distraught,  and  she 
may  need  some  one  to  guide  her  on  her  way.  Ah  !  there 
is  the  flutter  of  a  white  dress  now ;  she  is  coming,  and  all 
goes  well  for  us." 

A  girlish  figure  was  indeed  approaching  with  swift 
steps,  as  if  afraid  of  discovery  or  pursuit,  and  Spiers 
hurried  forward  to  meet  her,  while  Claudia  thought 
it  best  to  disappear. 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

THE   ABDUCTION. 

/"^LARE,  with  her  face  flushed  with  fever,  her  eyes 
V-x  shining  with  the  excitement  that  alone  sustained 
her,  came  on  with  rapid,  though  unsteady  steps ;  but  she 
faltered  and  drew  back,  when  she  saw  John  Spiers 
advancing  to  meet  her. 

Her  first  impulse  was  to  fly  from  him,  for  the  only 
feeling  he  inspired  was  that  of  repulsion ;  and  if  her 
strength  had  not  suddenly  failed  her,  she  would  have 
turned  and  fled  from  him,  crying  aloud  for  help  to  evade 
the  miserable  destiny  she  came  to  embrace. 

The  ground  seemed  to  rise  up  beneath  her  feet,  the 
trees  to  whirl  around  her ;  and  all  became  dark,  as  she 
made  an  impotent  effort  to  turn  on  her  steps  and  re- 
trace the  path  toward  the  house.  She  would  have  fallen 


486      A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

to  the  ground,  had  not  Spiers  bounded  forward  and 
reached  her  in  time  to  receive  her  swaying  form  in  his 
arms. 

He  bore  her  to  the  shelter  of  the  arbor,  and  drew  from 
Iiis  pocket  a  pungent  essence  he  had  brought  with  him, 
in  anticipation  of  some  such  catastrophe. 

When  consciousness  returned,  she  found  herself  lying 
on  the  breast  of  the  man  who  was  a  terror  and  a  horror 
to  her,  although  she  had  so  madly  given  herself  up  to 
him;  and  with  sudden  strength  she  wrenched  herself 
away  from  him,  and  said,  with  passionate  vehemence : 

"  Don't  touch  me  !  I  cannot  bear  it.  I  came  here  to 
make  terms  with  you,  not  to  accept  your  loathsome  love. 
You  threaten  me,  and  I  came  to  buy  you  off.  Name 
your  price,  for  I  believe  it  is  only  money  that  you  care 
for." 

Spiers  deprecatingly  said : 

"You  are  very  unjust,  Clare.  Did  I  know  that  you 
would  be  Mrs.  Adair's  heiress  when  I  first  sought  you  ? 
I  adore  you  !  I  cannot,  I  will  not  make  any  compromise 
that  involves  losing  you.  I  may  seem  cruel,  but  I  am. 
driven  to  the  wall — I  must  use  the  weapon  you  have 
yourself  put  into  my  hands,  to  force  you  to  fulfil  the 
promise  you  once  made  me." 

"  The  promise  was  wrung  from  me  by  such  violence 
as  you  are  again  ready  to  use  to  procure  its  fulfilment. 
Have  mercy  on  me,  Mr.  Spiers,  and  do  not  persist  in 
making  me  your  wife.  I  love  another — I  shrink  from 
you  as  from  something  fatal  *o  me.  Take  half  my 
fortune  and  let  me  go." 

He  uttered  a  sneering  laugh. 

"You  are  complimentary  to  me,  fair  lady,  but  I  do 


THE    ABDUCTION.  487 

not  believe  in  this  rival's  power  to  make  you  ignore  the 
pledges  you  gave  to  me.  I  shall  not  give  you  up  to 
him — rest  satisfied  of  that ;  nor  will  I  accept  money  of 
you  in  lieu  of  the  hand  I  so  ardently  covet.  Why  did 
you  come  to  me  at  all  this  evening,  if  it  was  not 
with  the  intention  of  going  with  me  wherever  fate  may 
lead  me?  You  have  voluntarily  placed  yourself  in  my 
power,  beautiful  Clare,  and  I  am  never  going  to  be  such 
an  idiot  as  to  let  you  escape  me  now." 

"It  will  be  worse  for  you  if  you  do  not,"  she  said, 
with  a  sudden  glare  in  her  eyes,  which  told  him  that,  if 
driven  to  desperation,  even  this  slender  creature  might 
be  dangerous.  He  drew  a  step  nearer  to  her,  and  said, 
in  the  softest  tone  he  could  command,  while  he  was 
inwardly  raging  against  her : 

"  It  would  be  despair  to  me  if  I  did.  What  can  I  say 
— what  can  I  do,  Clare,  to  bring  back  to  you  the  tender 
feeling  you  once  confessed  for  me?  You  could  not  have 
been  trifling  with  me;  I  should  be  loath  to  believe  that 
of  so  young  and  artless  a  girl  as  you  seemed  to  be." 

"  I  was  a  silly  child.  I  was  flattered  by  your  seeming 
preference  because  others  thought  you  handsome;  but 
that  I  ever  loved  you,  or  led  you  to  believe  that  I  did,  is 
false.  The  promise  I  gave  you  was  forced  from  me  in  so 
base  and  unmanly  a  way,  that  I  have  hated  and  despised 
you  ever  since  it  was  given." 

"  You  use  strong  language,  pretty  Clare ;  but  I  can 
forgive  it,  since  you  came  hither  voluntarily  this  evening 
to  place  your  fate  so  utterly  in  my  power  that  there  is 
now  no  escape  from  a  union  with  me." 

"Have  you  no  mercy?  Will  you  dare  to  tako  to 
your  heart  a  creature  Avho  has  but  one  feeling  toward 


488        A   NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

yon,  and  that  is  repulsion  ?  If  you  refuse  my  prayer,  I 
shall  believe  that  you  and  Claudia  Coyle  have  spread 
this  snare  for  me,  and  that  she  has  put  poison  in  the 
elixir  I  gave  my  aunt ;  that  she  did  it,  and  at  your  com- 
mand, that  you  might  have  me  at  your  mercy.  Let  me 
go,  and  take  the  half  of  my  fortune.  I  will  gladly  give 
it  as  a  ransom  for  myself." 

"After  what  you  have  said,  I  would  do  so  if  you  had 
the  power  to  keep  your  word  with  regard  to  the  inheri- 
tance left  you  by  Mrs.  Adair;  but  you  have  not.  You 
are  a  minor ;  your  fortune  will  be  in  the  hands  of  trus- 
tees, and  you  will  have  no  legal  right  to  transfer  any 
portion  of  it  till  you  are  of  age.  Before  that  time  you 
would  marry  Jasper  Clifford,  if  I  were  fool  enough  to 
give  you  up,  and  he  would  never  permit  you  to  pay  the 
debt  you  are  so  willing  to  incur.  No,  my  pretty  one ; 
you  came  to  me  of  your  own  sweet  will,  and  you  will 
stay  with  me  from  this  time  forth  till  death  us  do  part 
as  the  prayer-book  has  it." 

Clare  sunk  down  on  the  bench,  unable  longer  to  sus- 
tain herself;  but  when  he  would  have  approached  her, 
she  repulsed  him,  and  faintly  said  : 

"I  came  in  the  hope  that  I  should  be  able  to  make 
terms  with  you.  You  threatened  to  have  me  arrested 
for — for  a  crime  I  never  wilfully  committed.  Is  it  not 
dreadful  enough  for  me  to  know  that  I  caused  my  aunt's 
death,  without  being  dragged  forward  before  the  world, 
and  accused  of  it?  Why  should  not  you  also  be  impli- 
cated, since  you  seem  to  know  so  much  more  of  it  than  I 
do  myself?  Oh !  I  was  mad  to  come  here !  I  was  mad 
— mad!" 

She  pressed  her  hands  over  her  eyes  to  shut  out  the 


THE     ABDUCTION.  489 

hateful  glance  that  glared  down  on  her  j  for  Spiers,  at 
this  glimpse  of  the  truth  which  had  come  to  her,  lost  all 
self-control.  He  spoke  in  tones  that  made  her  shiver 
through  every  fibre  of  her  frame. 

"  You  may  have  been  mad,  but  you  will  be  a  worse 
lunatic  before  I  have  done  with  you.  Come — we  have 
talked  too  long.  You  are  mine  now  and  forever,  and  I 
thus  take  possession  of  my  own." 

He  seized  her  in  his  strong  arms,  threw  over  her  face 
a  handkerchief  saturated  with  chloroform,  which  had  at 
that  time  just  become  known  to  the  medical  profession,  and 
holding  it  over  her  face  until  she  became  limp  and  helpless, 
he  bore  her  to  the  spot  where  he  had  his  horse  fastened. 

Away  like  the  wind  he  rode  through  woodland  paths 
till  he  came  upon  a  small  unpainted  house,  half  hidden 
by  trees  and  undergrowth,  invisible  from  the  river, 
though  it  stood  but  a  few  hundred  yards  from  its  banks. 

An  old  woman  with  bleared  eyes,  and  a  wrinkled  face 
which  was  the  color  of  leather,  came  out  at  the  sound  of 
his  horse's  feet,  and  with  a  smirk  said,  as  he  dismounted, 
carrying  his  burden  in  his  arms : 

"  So  the  pretty  dearie  has  run  away  with  you  after  all, 
Mr.  Johnson,"  that  being  the  name  he  had  assumed 
since  he  had  lodged  in  Mrs.  Brown's  house.  "  But  what 
has  happened  to  put  her  in  sich  a  fix  as  this  ?  " 

"She  was  frightened  for  fear  of  pursuit,  and  has 
fainted.  She  has  been  ill,  and  has  been  so  closely 
watched  that  she  could  not  get  to  me  before.  All  is  safe 
now  though,  for  in  another  hour  the  steamer  will  be 
down,  and  we  will  get  away  before  the  people  from 
Eiverdale  can  stop  us." 

While  speaking,  he  strode  into  the  house,  and  laid  the 
insensible  girl  on  a  bed  which  stood  in  the  front  room. 


490      A     NEW     WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

A  hat,  with  a  long  thick  veil  attached  to  it,  and  a 
black  shawl,  had  been  given  to  Spiers  by  Claudia  Coyle 
for  Clare's  use,  and  he  brought  them  from  the  inner 
room,  and  placed  them  beside  her,  briefly  saying : 

"You  are  to  put  these  on  her  when  the  signal  is 
given,  that  no  time  may  be  lost.  I  must  go  now,  and 
help  Jared  to  get  the  boat  in  readiness.  If  she  recovers 
enough  to  speak,  she  may  say  strange  things,  but  she  is 
half  delirious,  and  you  must  not  pay  any  attention  to  them. 
She  came  to  me  voluntarily,  or  I  could  never  have  got 
possession  of  her.  I  think  her  sufferings  have  made  her 
half  crazy,  Mrs.  Brown ;  but  now  that  she  has  effected 
her  escape,  she  will  soon  be  better.  Her  mind  will  be  at 
rest,  poor  darling." 

"Yes,  I  know,"  said  the  old  woman,  sympathetically. 
"I  run  away  with  my  ole  man  when  we  was  both 
young  and  foolish,  and  I  knows  what  I  went  through 
afore  I  got  off.  She's  a  pretty  crecter,  Mr.  Johnson,  and 
she'll  be  rich  as  cream  if  it's  true  that  old  Madam  Adair 
left  her  all  her  fortin." 

"She'll  be  rich  enough  to  pay  you  handsomely  for 
helping  her  off  with  her  true  love,  Mrs.  Brown,  and  I 
shall  take  care  that  you  get  your  reward  before  many 
days  are  over.  Just  let  her  lie  quiet  now;  she  is  breath- 
ing again,  and  there  is  no  danger." 

Mrs.  Brown,  in  spite  of  her  ungainly  appearance,  was 
not  a  bad  woman,  nor  one  to  whom  it  would  have  been 
safe  to  tell  the  whole  truth.  Her  lodger  had  induced 
her  to  believe  that  the  heiress  of  Riverdale  was  desper- 
ately in  love  with  him.  He  had  told  her  that  his  sojourn 
beneath  her  humble  roof  was  made  that  he  might  find  an 
opportunity  to  elope  with  Miss  Desmond,  as  her  relatives 
were  bitterly  opposed  to  their  marriage. 


LUCK    TUBNS    AGAINST    SPIERS.        491 

Clare  was  breathing  heavily,  but  quite  unconscious  of 
all  that  was  passing  around  her,  and  the  old  woman  sat 
down  to  watch  over  her,  her  memory  going  back  to  the 
time  when  she  had  herself  eloped  from  her  father's  house, 
where  plenty  and  peace  reigned,  to  cast  her  lot  in  with 
that  of  a  mail  who  had  ill-treated  her  and  brought  her 
to  poverty. 

"  I  hope  this  poor  thing  will  have  better  luck  than  I 
had,"  was  the  mental  prayer  she  breathed  over  the  hap- 
less girl,  unconscious  how  much  darker  was  the  fate  that 
threatened  Clare  than  the  one  which  had  been  awarded 
to  herself. 


CHAPTER   XXXIX. 

LUCK   TURNS   AGAINST  JOHN    SPIERS. 

SPIERS  went  down  to  the  water's  edge  and  found  a 
boat  idly  rocking  in  a  little  cove  sheltered  from 
observation  by  a  curve  in  the  bank.  In  it  lay,  at  full 
length,  a  young  man  of  uncouth  appearance,  clad  in 
homespun.  A  hat  with  a  torn  brim  was  pulled  down 
over  his  eyes,  and  he  seemed  to  be  sleeping. 

Spiers  called  out  in  an  angry  tone : 

"  Hillo,  Jared ;  is  this  the  way  you  watch,  when  you 
are  well  paid  for  it?" 

The  head  was  slowly  lifted,  and  a  loutish-looking 
face  emerged  from  the  shelter  of  the  hat,  as  its  owner 
growled  in  reply : 

"  When  thar's  nothin'  to  watch  fur,  why  shaVt  I  take 
a  nap  ?  Is  the  gal  nabbed  ?  " 


492       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

"  Yes ;  she's  safe  at  the  house.  Has  the  boat  passed 
up  stream  yet  ?  " 

"  Yes,  half  hour  agone ;  but  I  an't  heerd  the  tother 
comin'  yit ;  she'll  be  along,  though,  I  reekin,  in  time." 

"Oh,  yes;  she's  always  on  time,"  was  the  light 
reply.  "  You  understand  what  you  have  to  do, 
Jared?" 

Young  Brown  nodded,  and  lazily  stepped  from  the 
boat. 

"  You  are  to  give  me  a  hundred  dollars  to  git  you  off 
safe  wi'  the  gal.  I  kin  do  it,  and  I  will  do  it,  so  thar" 

"  I  don't  think  there  will  be  anybody  to  interfere 
before  we  are  off;  but  if  there  should  be,  you  must 
stand  by  me  to  the  last,  and  d<\  whatever  I  tell  you." 

"  Sartin.  I  couldn't  expect  to  git  that  pile  o'  money 
ef  I  shirked  'cause  there  was  a  fuss  around.  I  an't 
afeard.  Ef  the  gal  wants  to  go  wi'  you  she  shill,  anyhow." 

"  Of  course  she  wants  to  go  with  me,  or  she  would  not 
have  come  to  meet  me  this  afternoon.  In  half  an  hour 
the  Richmond  boat  should  be  in  sight,  and  once  safe  on 
board  of  her  with  my  prize,  I  can  snap  my  fingers  at  all 
her  friends." 

Jared  only  grunted  in  reply,  and  Spiers  walked  to 
and  fro  upon  the  shore,  pausing  every  few  moments  to 
take  a  long  view  at  the  river.  The  sun  sank  to  rest  in 
a  heavy  bank  of  clouds,  and  the  bright  twilight  ended, 
but  there  was  no  sign  of  the  expected  steamer,  no  sound 
that  indicated  her  approach ;  she  was  an  hour  behind 
time,  and  Spiers  came  to  the  unwilling  conclusion  that 
some  accident  had  happened  to  detain  her. 

He  raged  to  and  fro  like  a  baffled  hyena,  and  swore 
so  terribly  that  his  companion  remonstrated. 

The  infuriated  man  retorted  : 


LUCK     TURNS    AGAINST    SPIERS.       493 

"  How  dare  you  speak  to  me  in  that  way  ?  If  you 
had  as  much  at  stake  as  I  have,  you  would  blaspheme 
even  worse  than  I  do.  The  people  from  Riverdale  will 
be  down  on  me,  and  there's  but  one  way  to  make  all 
sure.  I  will  bring  the  girl  down,  and  you  can  row  me 
to  some  point  where  we  can  get  shelter  and  be  safe  from 
pursuit." 

Jared  pointed  to  the  river,  which  was  beginning  to 
lash  itself  into  foam  under  the  influence  of  one  of  those 
sudden  storms  which  are  often  as  violent  as  they  are 
brief.  He  laconically  said : 

"If  the  boat  was  to  come  now,  it  would  be  hardly 
safe  for  you  to  try  to  git  on  her  in  sich  a  stiff  blow  as 
this  is  goin'  to  be.  We'd  better  git  back  to  the  house,  I 
kin  tell  you.  See  thar  now." 

This  exclamation  was  caused  by  a  burst  of  thunder 
above  their  heads,  accompanied  by  a  vivid  flash  of  light- 
ning, and  Spiers  began  to  think  himself  that  discretion 
was  the  better  part  of  valor.  He  sullenly  said  : 

"  Everything  is  against  me.  Come  on  then,  and  I'll 
tell  you  as  you  go  how  you  may  earn  not  one  hundred, 
but  five  hundred  dollars." 

"  Golly  !  that'd  be  a  grand  haul.  I  an't  particler  ef 
the  money'll  be  all  right." 

"I'll  give  you  one  hundred  now,  and  the  balance 
shall  be  paid  you  in  a  week  from  this  time.  You  told 
me  that  you  had  been  a  Methodist  preacher  once ;  and 
if  you  will  go  over  the  marriage  ceremony  between  this 
girl  and  myself,  the  money  is  yours." 

'•'But  I  wa'n't  licensed  to  preach.  I  jist  took  it  up  a 
spell,  'cause  I  thought  it'd  be  a  easy  way  to  make  a 
livin'.  'Twas  all-tired  hard,  I  tell  you,  an'  the  people 
laughed  at  my  want  o'  eddication,  though  I  sent  'em  all 


494       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

to  blazes,  as  the  most  o'  them  are  fellers  do.  I  never 
married  nobody ;  an'  ef  I  had,  'twouldn't  ha'  held  in  law." 

"  I  don't  care  for  that.  Desperate  cases  require  des- 
perate remedies.  The  Desmonds  won't  know  that  you 
were  not  regularly  ordained.  Marry  me  to  the  girl,  and 
I  will  manage  all  the  rest." 

"  Well,  'tan't  none  o'  my  business.  Hand  over  the 
rhino,  an'  I'll  do  my  best." 

The  hundred  dollars  was  paid,  and  a  few  moments 
later  the  two  entered  the  house.  Clare  was  alone  in  the 
outer  room,  lying  with  half-closed  eyes  and  parted  lips, 
evidently  still  under  the  influence  of  the  chloroform  she 
had  inhaled. 

At  the  approach  of  the  storm,  Mrs.  Brown  had 
rushed  out  to  put  up  a  brood  of  young  chickens  that 
had  been  hatched  out  only  a  few  days  before,  and  Spiers 
hurriedly  said : 

"  It  is  lucky  the  coast  is  clear.  Hurry  up  now,  and 
get  through  before  the  old  woman  comes  back." 

"But  the  gal  don't  seem  to  know  nothin'.  What 
would  be  the  use,  if  she  can't  make  her  'sponses  ?  " 

"  I  can  lift  up  her  hands  for  her,  which  will  do  quite 
as  well  as  speech ;  you  know  she's  willing  to  marry  me, 
or  she  wouldn't  be  here  with  me." 

"That's  true;  so  here  goes." 

Jared  rattled  off  a  brief  form  of  words,  and  at  its  close 
said,  with  a  hoarse  laugh : 

"  I  pronounce  you,  John  Johnson  and  Clare  Desmond, 
man  and  wife.  Short  work  that  to  win  sich  a  pile  o' 
money,  I  reckin." 

Clare  had  shown  no  consciousness  of  what  was  pass- 
ing. She  breathed,  and  that  was  all ;  she  did  not  even 
shrink  from  the  hated  touch  of  Spiers,  when  he  raised 


LUCK    TURNS    AGAINST    SPIERS.        495 

her  hand  in  mocking  response  to  the  question,  Will 
you  take  this  man  for  your  wedded  husband? 

The  storm  burst,  and  for  half  an  hour  raged  with 
such  fury  that  the  small  house  rocked  to  its  foundations. 
Half  of  Mrs.  Brown's  chickens  were  drowned,  and  in 
her  lamentations  over  them  she  was  almost  oblivious  of 
Clare's  presence  beneath  her  roof. 

The  storm  soon  exhausted  its  violence,  and  in  a  sud- 
den pause  in  the  roaring  of  the  wind,  the  tones  of  a  bell 
were  heard  rising  from  the  river.  A  glance  through  the 
window  showed  the  outline  of  a  steamer  gleaming  with 
light,  looking,  in  the  lurid  atmosphere,  like  a  fire-ship 
ready  for  action. 

The  deep  booming  of  the  bell  came  at  intervals,  and 
aroused  by  the  sound,  Clare  lifted  her  colorless  face,  and 
excitedly  asked : 

"  What  is  that  ?  Is  it  the  funeral  knell  of  every  hope 
I  had  in  life?  What — what  are  you  going  to  do 
with  me  ?  " 

The  last  question  was  prompted  by  the  rapid  action 
of  Mrs.  Brown.  She  snatched  up  the  hat  and  shawl, 
and  commenced  muffling  her  guest  in  them,  while  her 
son  threw  open  the  door,  and  rushed  down  the  declivity 
on  which  the  house  stood,  to  make  a  signal  to  the  boat, 
that  the  expected  passengers  would  soon  be  alongside. 

To  Clare's  terrified  inquiry,  Mrs.  Brown  replied : 

"  I'm  gittin'  you  ready  to  git  off  wi'  your  sweetheart, 
honey.  It's  all  right ;  the  boat's  come,  an'  you'll  soon 
be  safe  aboard  on  her." 

Spiers  bent  over  her  before  she  gained  breath  to  reply, 
and  hissed  in  her  ear : 

"  One  word  in  contradiction  of  what  I  have  told  here, 
and  I  will  denounce  you  before  these  people  as  the  mur- 


496       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

derer  of  your  aunt,  and  you  know  what  must  follow  then. 
I  could  not  save  you." 

"Let  me  be  lost  then,"  she  desperately  replied. 
"Anything,  anything  will  be  better  than  going  with  you." 

In  spite  of  her  struggles,  he  wrapped  the  veil  over 
her  face  in  such  a  manner  as  to  stifle  her  cries,  and 
taking  her  in  his  arms,  strode  out  of  the  house. 


CHAPTER    XL. 

THE  PURSUIT. 

IN  the  meantime  the  Norfolk  steamer  had  reached  the 
landing,  and,  much  to  Jasper's  surprise  and  delight, 
not  only  Mrs.  Desmond  was  on  board,  but  her  husband 
and  his  own  father.  To  the  hurried  inquiries  made  after 
Clare,  Jasper  replied  that  she  was  quite  safe,  though  still 
much  indisposed. 

Beal,  with  two  policemen  in  plain  clothes,  came  on 
shore  with  them,  and  after  a  slight  delay,  a  conveyance 
was  found  for  them  to  Riverdale,  and  the  three  gentle- 
men got  into  the  carriage  with  Mrs.  Desmond.  As  they 
drove  rapidly  forward,  Jasper  was  told  how  completely 
successful  his  father's  mission  had  been ;  and  that  he  was 
in  possession  of  warrants  for  the  arrest  of  Spiers  and 
Claudia  Coyle. 

In  conclusion,  Mr.  Clifford  said : 

"  I  hope  Clare's  mind  is  clear  enough  to  understand 
that  she  is  exonerated  from  all  blame ;  that  Mrs.  Adair 
took  from  her  hand  nothing  that  could  in  any  degree 
affect  her  health." 


THE    PURSUIT.  497 

"  I  have  told  her  again  and  again  that  she  has  nothing 
to  fear ;  but  I  did  not  venture  to  explain  everything  to 
her.  She  seemed  too  much  excited,  and  I  thought  it 
safest  to  soothe  her  as  I  best  could." 

"  I  fear  you  have  made  a  great  mistake,  Mr.  Clifford," 
said  Mrs.  Desmond,  in  some  excitement;  but  she 
checked  herself,  and  more  quietly  added,  "but  you 
doubtless  thought  you  were  acting  for  the  best,  and  all 
can  be  soon  set  right  now." 

The  impatient  mother  thought  the  drive  would  never 
end,  though  the  horses  were  put  to  their  utmost  speed, 
and  she  had  no  thought  for  the  grandeur  of  the  home 
that  now  belonged  to  her  daughter,  when  they  drove  in 
at  the  iron  gates,  and  swept  up  to  the  entrance. 

Judith  Brooke  was  on  the  steps  ready  to  receive  them, 
and  she  smilingly  said  to  Mrs.  Desmond : 

"  Clare  is  resting  quietly,  though  I  scarcely  think  she 
is  asleep.  Shall  we  go  up  to  her  at  once,  Mrs.  Des- 
mond?" 

"  Show  me  the  way,  please,  that  I  may  clasp  her  in 
my  arms  as  soon  as  possible,  and  bring  peace  to  her 
poor  heart." 

The  two  hurried  up-stairs,  followed  by  Mr.  Desmond, 
who  was  not  less  impatient  than  his  wife  to  embrace  his 
daughter  again  and  breathe  peace  into  her  fainting  soul. 

Claudia  witnessed  the  arrival  of  the  first  carriage  from 
the  windows  of  her  own  apartment ;  the  one  containing 
Beal  and  the  policemen  was  not  yet  in  sight ;  and  with 
a  satisfied  smile  she  turned  away  and  went  down  to  greet 
Mr.  Clifford ;  she  appeared  as  perfectly  at  her  ease  as  if 
unconscious  of  the  evasion  of  the  unfortunate  girl  he 
had  hurried  back  to  save. 
31 


498        A     NEW     WAY     TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

She  was  charmingly  dressed,  and  looked  as  grand  and 
beautiful  as  he  thought  lie  had  ever  seen  her,  as  she 
came  toward  him  with  outstretched  hand  and  beaming 
smiles. 

"You  see  I  am  back  again,  Mr.  Clifford.  I  went 
away  in  a  pet,  but  I  thought  it  best  to  return  and  keep 
my  position  here,  till  my  dear  old  friend's  will  is  read. 
She  always  promised  to  remember  me  handsomely,  and 
I  stand  in  need  of  all  she  may  have  given  me." 

Acute  as  she  was,  Claudia  could  not  understand  the 
expression  of  his  face  as  he  replied  : 

"  I  expected  to  find  you  here,  Miss  Coyle,  and  I  assure 
you  that  I  am  very  glad  you  have  returned.  There  is 
some  unfinished  business  to  settle  in  which  you  are 
deeply  interested." 

Claudia  changed  color,  and  at  that  moment  her  dis- 
comfiture was  completed  by  the  sudden  appearance  of 
Beal  and  his  two  companions.  She  hurriedly  asked  : 

"  Who— who  are  these  men,  and  why  have  you 
brought  strangers  here  at  such  a  time  as  this  V" 

"You  will  soon  know,  Miss  Coyle.  They  came  on 
your  account,  and  I  advise  you  to  make  no  resistance. 
I  arrest  you  in  the  name  of  the  law  for  a  crime  I  need 
not  now  stop  to  explain  to  you.  Do  your  duty,  gen- 
tlemen." 

The  arrest  was  so  sudden  and  unexpected  that  for  an 
instant  Claudia  was  paralyzed;  but  the  next  moment 
she  darted  away  and  ran  into  Jasper's  arms,  who  was 
entering  from  the  lateral  hall. 

She  struggled  violently  to  escape,  but  he  held  her 
with  a  strong  grasp  till  the  policemen  came  up,  and 
one  of  them  coolly  took  off  the  serpent  bracelet  that 


THE    PURSUIT.  499 

glittered  on  her  arm,  and  replaced  it  with  a  slender  pair 
of  hand-puffs  he  had  brought  for  the  purpose. 

Claudia  was  pale  as  marble,  and  panting  with  rage 
and  fright ;  but  what  she  might  have  said  was  cut  short 
by  a  thrilling  cry  above  stairs,  and  Mr.  Desmond  rushed 
down,  looking  white  and  desperate. 

"  My  daughter  is  gone  !  She  has  been  spirited  away 
in  some  unaccountable  manner.  What  has  become  of 
her  ?  Woman,  answer  me  truly,  for  you  have  aided  this 
abduction.  The  truth — the  truth  from  your  vile  lips,  or 
your  life  is  not  worth  a  moment's  purchase." 

In  his  frenzy  he  drew  a  pistol  and  levelled  it  at  Clau- 
dia's head  as  she  stood  there,  her  identity  betrayed  by 
the  manacles  she  wore. 

One  of  the  policemen  quietly  struck  the  weapon  up, 
and  said : 

"  No  violence  must  be  used,  Mr.  Desmond.  Let  some 
one  give  orders  for  horses  to  be  made  ready  for  a  pursuit, 
and  it  will  go  hard  with  me  if  I  cannot  get  from  thi.s 
young  woman  such  information  as  will  guide  us  to  the 
right  place  to  find  your  daughter." 

"  You  will  learn  nothing  from  me,"  said  Claudia,  sul- 
lenly, "  and  I  will  make  you  pay  roundly  for  insulting 
mo  in  this  unheard-of  manner.  What  have  I  done  to 
deserve  such  treatment  ?  Of  what  am  I  accused  ?" 

"Of  complicity  with  John  Spiers  to  poison  Mrs.  Adair, 
making  her  niece  the  innocent  agent  of  her  murder;  of 
using  the  power  thus  obtained  over  Clare  to  induce  her 
to  marry  Spiers,  and  make  a  will  in  his  favor.  When 
that  was  done,  she  was  to  be  dealt  with  as  mercilessly  as 
the  old  lady  was,"  said  Mr.  Clifford,  in  reply. 

This  brief  statement  made  her  cower  a  moment,  but 
she  defiantly  replied : 


500       A    NEW     WAY    TO    WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

"  There  can  be  no  proof  of  such  a  crime  on  my  part. 
I  know  nothing  of  John  Spiers,  or  his  plans.  How 
should  I,  living  as  secluded  as  I  have  since  I  came  to 
Mrs.  Adair's?" 

"  We  have  the  proofs — let  that  suffice.  I  have  wit- 
nessed your  nocturnal  meetings  with  Spiers  more  than 
once,  and  if  you  had  spoken  English  I  should  have 
fathomed  your  plans  long  ago.  I  have  been  working  in 
the  dark  to  foil  you  for  weeks  past,  Miss  Coyle,  and 
you  have  fallen  into  the  trap  you  so  cunningly  set  for 
another." 

Claudia  glared  at  him,  and  viciously  said  : 

"  My  guilt  cannot  be  proved  without  that  of  Clare 
Desmond  being  made  known.  She  used  the  elixir,  and 
she  is  guilty  of  the  murder." 

"  But  there  was  no  murder,  and  Clare  is  innocent,  as 
you  will  soon  understand.  Come  forward,  Beal,  and  tell 
your  story.  When  Miss  Coyle  has  heard  it,  perhaps  she 
will  be  willing  to  tell  by  what  agency  Miss  Desmond 
was  removed  from  this  house,  and  give  us  a  clue  as  to 
where  she  is  to  be  found." 

Beal  came  forward,  and  gave  a  concise  account  of  what 
is  already  known  to  the  reader. 

Claudia  clearly  saw  that  the  game  was  up,  and  her 
most  eager  desire  now  was  to  prevent  Spiers  from  getting 
off  with  his  victim,  and  forcing  her  to  marry  him,  since  no 
pecuniary  advantage  could  be  derived  from  such  a  union. 

After  a  few  moments'  reflection,  she  said : 

"  Neither  Jasper  nor  Mr.  Desmond  can  be  willing  to 
have  what  has  happened  here  brought  before  the  world, 
since  Clare's  name  must  inevitably  be  mixed  up  in  it. 
Pledge  me  your  word,  Mr.  Clifford,  that  I  shall  go  free, 


THE    PURSUIT.  501 

and  also  ray  accomplice,  and  I  will  tell  you  where  he 
may  be  found,  and  Clare  rescued." 

"  I  cannot  set  aside  your  arrest,  now  that  it  has  been 
made,"  said  Mr.  Clifford,  in  a  low  voice,  "  but  I  can  so 
arrange  it  that  you  may  both  be  allowed  to  escape  while 
on  your  way  to  prison." 

Claudia  shuddered  at  the  last  word. 

"  Promise  me  that — I  know  I  can  rely  on  your  word 
— and  I  will  tell  you  enough  to  enable  you  to  follow  up 
John  Spiers,  and  release  Miss  Desmond  before  he  has 
time  to  make  her  marry  him." 

"  I  pledge  you  my  word  of  honor  that  you  both  shall 
escape  if  Clare  is  brought  back  unharmed.  If  not,  I 
hardly  know  what  vengeance  you  may  not  expect  to  fall 
on  you.  You  would  have  three  merciless  men  to  deal 
with,  Claudia  Coyle — her  father,  her  betrothed  husband, 
and  myself.  Now  speak,  if  you  will." 

By  this  time  the  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs  was  heard  on 
the  gravel  in  front  of  the.  house,  and  both  Jasper  and 
Mr.  Desmond,  who  had  aided  in  getting  them  ready, 
came  in  to  learn  what  terms  had  been  made  with  the 
prisoner. 

Claudia  briefly  said : 

"  Clare  went  out  this  afternoon  to  meet  Mr.  Spiers  in 
the  woodland  arbor.  I  scarcely  think  she  knew  what 
she  was  doing  when  she  came.  She  hoped  to  make  a 
compromise  with  him,  and  induce  him,  for  money,  to 
spare  her  the  accusation  he  declared  he  would  bring 
against  her  if  she  refused  to  marry  him.  He  declined 
her  offers,  and  took  her  away  with  him.  If  the  Rich- 
mond steamer  has  not  passed  down  the  river,  she  will  be 
found  at  Mrs.  Brown's  cottage,  four  miles  below  this 
place.  That  is  all  I  have  to  say." 


502        A    2?  E  W     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

Mr.  Clifford's  fece  brightened. 

"The  steamer  has  not  passed  down  yet,  for  we  beard, 
on  the  one  we  came  up  on,  that  she  would  not  leave 
Richmond  till  several  hours  after  her  usual  time.  A 
military  company  was  coming  on  her,  and  there  was  to 
be  a  parade  first.  Fate  works  in  our  favor,  and  you  will 
be  in  time  to  save  Clare  yet,  Mr.  Desmond.  I  shall  stay 
here  to  watch  over  our  prisoner,  as  she  must  be  con- 
fronted with  her  accomplice  before  she  is  allowed  to 
depart.  Take  the  policeman  with  you,  Desmond,  for 
the  man  may  be  desperate ;  and  it  may  be  as  well  to 
send  a  boat  out  to  drop  down  slowly,  and  intercept  him 
if  the  steamer  should  arrive." 

"Be  sure  that  we  shall  do  all  that  is  possible,"  said 
Jasper,  with  pale  lips,  but  an  expression  of  determina- 
tion on  his  youthful  face  which  told  Claudia  that  if  any 
evil  had  happened  to  Clare,  the  life  of  the  man  she  loved 
as  the  tigress  loves  her  young  would  be  the  forfeit. 

Their  arrangements  were  soon  completed.  By  this 
time  the  sun  had  set,  and  the  storm  was  brewing ;  but 
regardless  of  that,  the  boat  was  manned  by  two  stout 
negro  men  accustomed  to  the  river,  and  one  of  the 
policemen,  with  Mr.  Bowden,  who  insisted  on  joining  the 
party,  took  their  places  in  it  The  other  one  accom- 
panied Jasper  and  Mr.  Desmond.  They  set  out  amid 
the  first  breathing  of  the  storm,  in  the  hope  that  they 
would  reach  Mrs.  Brown's  house  before  it  burst  on  them 
in  all  its  fury.  Mr.  Clifford  thought  it  best  to  detain 
Beal  with  him,  as  his  evidence  was  too  important  to  risk 
his  safety  in  any  way. 

The  lightning  flashed,  the  thunder  rolled,  rain  fell  in 
blinding  torrents,  and  the  wind  snapped  branches  from 
the  trees  like  pipe-stems,  and  sent  them  flying  iu  every 


THE     PURSUIT.  503 

direction ;  but  little  did  the  three  determined  men  heed 
the  dangers  on  their  way.  The  father  and  lover  thought 
only  of  Clare  in  the  power  of  so  base  a  wretch  as  John 
Spiers,  and  they  thundered  on  unscathed  amid  the  din 
of  the  elements,  scarcely  conscious  of  the  dangers  that 
surrounded  them. 

"NVhen  the  raging  wind  ceased  to  roar  as  suddenly  as  it 
had  arisen,  they  found  themselves  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  the  place  they  were  seeking.  Jasper  knew  the 
road  well,  and  he  checked  his  horse,  and  said : 

"  The  storm  will  still  further  delay  the  steamer,  and 
we  shall  have  time  to  rescue  Clare  before  she  comes.  I 
hope  the  boat  has  fared  as  well  as  we  have.  The  way  is 
shorter  by  the  river,  and  the  men  are  skilful  boatmen. 
I  think  they  will  be  in  time  to  aid  us,  if  their  assistance 
should  be  necessary." 

At  that  moment  the  deep  booming  of  a  bell  was 
heard,  and  Jasper  cried  out : 

"  We  have  not  a  moment  to  lose.  I  know  the  sound 
of  that  bell  too  well  to  mistake  it.  They  are  ringing  for 
their  passengers.  On  to  the  rescue !  " 

Again  they  dashed  away,  and  in  a  few  moments  more 
were  riding  pellmell  toward  the  bank,  on  which  a  dark 
group  was  gathered.  A  boat  was  rowing  in  toward  the 
land,  which  Spiers  mistook  for  one  belonging  to  the 
steamer,  but  which  Jasper  recognized  as  the  one  that  had 
been  sent  from  Riverdale. 

It  landed  just  as  the  three  excited  horsemen  came 
within  speaking  distance.  Spiers  sprang  into  it,  placed 
Clare  on  the  seat,  and  lifting  his  hat,  waved  it  triumph- 
antly toward  those  he  believed  had  come  too  late,  and 
cried  out : 

"  Baffled !     She  is  mine  now,  and  I  defy  you ! " 


504       A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

Then  turning  to  the  men,  he  said  : 

"Row  for  your  lives!  Fifty  dollars  to  you,  boys,  if 
you  get  us  to  the  steamer  before  those  fellows  can  pursue 
and  stop  us." 

Bowden  and  the  policeman  had  crouched  down  in  the 
boat  as  she  drew  near  the  shore,  and  when  they  now 
sprang  up,  and  pinioned  the  exulting  abductor,  he  was 
so  taken  by  surprise  that  he  was  handcuffed  and  bound 
before  he  could  make  any  effectual  resistance. 

His  blasphemies  Avere  terrible;  but  we  pass  over  his 
impotent  ravings  to  chronicle  something  more  agreeable. 

In  a  moment  Mr.  Desmond  was  in  the  boat,  and  had 
his  daughter  in  his  arms,  crying  out : 

"  You  are  saved  !  you  are  saved,  my  darling  ! — doubly 
saved,  for  you  are  proved  innocent  of  any  injury  to  your 
aunt.  The  draught  that  wretch  had  prepared  was 
changed  by  a  friend,  and  the  elixir  you  used  was  only 
soda  and  water.  Look  up,  my  precious  child,  and  let  me 
see  that  you  fully  comprehend  the  import  of  my  words." 

"Yes,  papa,  I  understand.  I  have  escaped  an  awful 
danger,  but  I  know  that  I  am  safe  now.  Can  you  forgive 
me  for  my  mad  flight?  But  I  was  so  wretched,  papa, 
that  I  did  not  know  which  way  to  turn  for  safety." 

"All  is  forgiven,  love,  and  your  sufferings  will  soon 
be  forgotten  in  the  happiness  that  awaits  you." 

Spiers  paused  in  his  cursing  to  listen  to  what  was  said 
by  the  father  and  daughter.  He  cynically  said  : 

"I  think  I  shall  have  a  word  to  say  about  that,  Mr. 
Desmond.  Your  daughter  is  my  wife,  and  I  ask  you 
if  this  is  fitting  treatment  for  your  son-in-law  ?  " 

"Your  wife!"  exclaimed  Jasper,  on  whose  set  face 
the  full  moon  suddenly  shone  from  a  rift  in  the  clouds. 
"Dare  to  repeat  that  assertion,  and  I  will  kill  you." 


THE    PURSUIT.  505 

Clare  shivered,  and  shrank,  and  laying  her  hand  on 
her  lover's  arm,  said : 

"It  is  false,  Jasper.  There  is  no  tie  between  him 
and  myself,  as  can  be  proved  by  these  people  here." 

"Ask  the  young  man,"  said  Spiers,  in  a  loud  tone. 
"  Jared  Brown  is  a  Methodist  clergyman,  and  he  mar- 
ried us  not  half  an  hour  ago.  You  pretended  to  be 
insensible,  but  you  knew  all  that  was  going  on,  and 
you  know  that  you  left  Riverdaje  this  afternoon  with  the 
intention  of  eloping  with  me." 

"Silence!"  thundered  Mr.  Desmond.  "How  dare 
you  claim  my  daughter  as  your  wife,  and  with  her  own 
consent?  If  I  believed  your  assertion,  I  would  pitch 
you  into  the  river,  bound  as  you  are,  and  let  you  drown 
like  a  dog.  Jasper,  we  cannot  linger  here.  Bring 
forward  that  woman  and  her  son,  and  let  them  answer 
for  themselves.  If  any  such  villany  has  been  per- 
petrated, they  shall  answer  dearly  for  it." 

Mrs.  Brown,  alarmed  by  the  noise  on  the  beach,  had 
come  down  to  see  what  was  going  on,  and  she  now  held 
on  to  her  son,  and  defeated  his  attempt  to  escape.  She 
angrily  said : 

"There  wa'n't  nobody  married  at  my  house  to-night, 
as  I  knows  on,  an'  this  here  boy  an't  no  more  a  preacher 
than  I  am.  He  tried  it  onct,  but  the  Conference 
wouldn't  have  nothin'  to  do  wi'  him,  an'  said  he  weren't 
in  his  right  mind  to  think  o'  sich  a  thing,  an'  he  hardly 
knowin'  how  to  read.  Please,  gents,  let  the  half-witted 
fool  alone,  for  he's  all  I've  got,  an'  he's  the  last  o'  nine 
children  ;  all  the  others  is  dead  an'  gone." 

"  That  is  enough,  Mrs.  Brown,"  said  Mr.  Desmond. 
"Keep  your  son  at  home,  that  he  may  be  found,  if 
wanted ;  but  I  think  I  shall  be  able  to  deal  with  this 


506       A    NEW    WAY    TO    WIN    A    FORTUNE. 

man  without  calling  on  him.  He  stole  my  daughter 
from  her  home,  and  would  have  forced  her  to  marry 
him  to  secure  her  fortune.  That  is  the  explanation  of 
all  that  has  happened  here  to-night." 

"  The  la's !  An'  he  said  she  was  runnin'  off  wi'  him, 
caze  she  wanted  to,  an'  you  wouldn't  let  her." 

"  He  tole  me  the  same  thing,  or  I  wouldn't  ha'  done 
it ;  but  'tan't  bindin'  nohow,"  said  Jared. 

"It  is  well  for  you  that  it  is  not,"  replied  Jasper, 
and  Brown  retreated  from  that  angry  face,  drawing  his 
mother  away  with  him. 

It  was  then  arranged  that  Mr.  Desmond  should  return 
in  the  boat  with  his  daughter  and  the  prisoner,  while 
Mr.  Bowden  rode  back  to  Riverdale  on  his  horse. 

In  the  meantime  the  steamer,  tired  of  waiting,  had 
resumed  her  course. 

The  boat  had  weathered  the  storm  by  hugging  the 
shore  and  taking  refuge  in  a  little  cove  during  its 
greatest  violence,  as  the  men  now  explained  to  Mr. 
Desmond,  and  he  promised  them  a  handsome  reward 
for  the  skill  and  fidelity  they  had  shown  in  hastening  to 
the  rescue  of  his  daughter. 

Spiers  made  several  efforts  to  talk  with  him,  but  he 
refused  to  hear  anything  he  had  to  say,  telling  him  that 
in  the  morning  Mrs.  Adair's  will  would  be  read  in  his 
presence,  and  the  final  settlement  of  his  fate,  and  tha  of 
his  accomplice,  be  determined  on. 

"You  think  you'll  have  it  all  your  own  way,"  he 
insolently  replied  ;  "  but  I'll  be  a  thorn  in  your  side  yet. 
Clare  is  my  wife,  and  I  will  prove  it.  I'm  not  going  to 
give  her  up  without  a  struggle." 

"Gag  that  fellow,"  cried  Mr.  Desmond,  in  irrepres- 


CONCLUSION.  507 

sible  wrath,  and  the  policeman  at  once  obeyed  the 
command. 

"We  pass  over  the  meeting  between  Clare  and  her 
mother,  because  words  would  fail  to  do  justice  to  its 
pathos. 

The  poor  harassed  girl  slept  that  night  in  the  arms 
that  had  held  her  in  infancy,  and  in  the  morning  she 
awoke  stronger  and  clearer  in  mind  than  she  had  been 
for  many  days. 

A  guard  was  kept  over  the  prisoners,  and  on  that  day 
their  fate  was  to  be  settled  after  the  will  was  read. 


CHAPTE  R  XLI. 

CONCLUSION. 

AT  ten  o'clock  the  whole  party  assembled  in  Mrs. 
Adair's  room,  with  the  addition  of  Dr.  Brooke 
and  his  son,  who  had  been  sent  for  at  an  early  hour  to 
be  present  at  the  reading  of  the  will. 

In  spite  of  the  strictness  with  which  the  prisoners  had 
been  guarded,  they  found  means  to  communicate  with 
each  other  through  the  medium  of  writing.  Claudia  had 
pledged  her  word  that  they  would  make  no  attempt  to 
escape  for  the  present,  and  the  handcuffs  were  removed 
from  her  wrists,  and  from  those  of  her  accomplice; 
though  as  a  safeguard,  Spiers  was  kept  securely  tied, 
and  one  of  the  policemen  was  stationed  in  the  room  with 
him. 

A  glittering  piece  of  jewelry  tempted  Hebe  to  become 


508  NEW    WAY    TO    WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

the  agent  of  Claudia,  and  a  scroll  of  paper  wrapped 
around  a  pencil  was  placed  by  her  on  the  waiter  on 
which  the  breakfast  sent  up  to  Spiers  was  arranged.  He 
furtively  read  the  few  lines  she  had  traced  on  the  paper, 
which  ran  thus : 

"  Confess  all,  and  they  will  allow  us  to  escape.  \Ye 
have  been  foiled,  and  all  our  labor  thrown  away;  but  we 
are  too  keen-witted  to  fail  always.  Fresh  fields  and 
pastures  new  are  open  to  us,  in  which  we  will  be  more 
successful.  After  all,  I  cannot  help  feeling  happy  that 
Clare  Desmond  will  not  be  your  wife.  "  C.  C." 

To  this  Spiers  replied  by  scratching  a  few  lines  on  the 
same  paper  when  the  sentry  was  looking  through  the 
window. 

"  Clare  Desmond  is  my  wife,  and  I  shall  maintain  my 
right  to  her.  In  Scotland  such  a  marriage  would  hold 
good,  and  why  not  in  this  country  ?  If  they  get  rid  of 
me  it  shall  be  by  paying  me  a  heavy  price.  As  to 
bringing  either  of  us  to  trial,  that  is  all  bosh.  The 
stigma  would  attach  to  Clare  as  much  as  to  us,  and 
old  Desmond's  infernal  pride  won't  allow  him  to  risk 
that.  Never  fear;  I  will  make  good  terms  for  both 
of  us.  "  J.  S." 

In  this  belief  he  obeyed  the  summons  to  join  the 
others,  looking  as  jaunty  and  unconcerned  as  if  no  seri- 
ous danger  menaced  him.  Claudia,  on  the  contrary,  was 
pale,  stern,  and  haughtily  defiant  even  to  him,  and  as  she 
passed  him  she  managed  to  hiss  into  his  ear : 

"  I  will  not  accept  safety  at  the  price  of  your  union 
with  that  girl,  nor  will  they  allow  you  to  make  good  your 
claims.  Do  as  I  bade  you,  or  we  are  both  lost." 


CONCLUSION.  509 

Spiers  only  shrugged  his  shoulders  in  reply,  and 
dropped  into  the  chair  that  was  pointed  out  to  him.  He 
insolently  surveyed  the  assembled  company,  and  tried  to 
obtain  a  good  view  of  Clare's  pale  face ;  but  Jasper  and 
her  mother  had  placed  themselves  in  sucli  a  position  that, 
from  his  seat,  she  could  not  be  seen.  A  table  was  drawn 
into  the  centre  of  the  floor,  on  which  the  will  was  laid. 
Dr.  Brooke  and  Mr.  Clifford  placed  themselves  near  it, 
and  the  former,  taking  up  the  folded  parchment,  said : 

"  I  bear  witness  that  this  is  the  last  will  and  testament 
of  my  deceased  friend,  Mrs.  Georgina  Adair.  It  was 
drawn  up  by  Mr.  Clifford  from  her  dictation,  and  his  son 
and  myself  affixed  our  signatures  to  it.  Mr.  Clifford 
will  now  proceed  to  read  it,  that  those  who  are  interested 
in  its  provisions  may  know  its  contents." 

lu  a  clear,  resonant  voice;  Clifford  then  read  aloud 
the  instrument,  the  contents  of  which  are  already  known 
to  the  reader.  He  had  scarcely  finished  the  first  page, 
when  Spiers  cried  out : 

"  Clare  Desmond,  the  heiress  of  this  estate,  is  my  law- 
ful wife,  and  I  claim  the  control  of  her  person  and 
her  property.  She  eloped  with  me  of  her  own  free  will, 
and  was  united  to  me  by  one  who  has  been  enrolled 
among  the  clergy,  if  he  is  not  now  a  licensed  preacher. 
Without  my  consent  this  marriage  cannot  be  set  aside, 
and  Jam  master  in  this  house,  in  right  of  my  wife." 

At  this  insolent  assertion  Mr.  Desmond  started  up, 
but  Clifford  lifted  his  hand,  and  quietly  said  : 

"A  moment,  Mr.  Desmond,  will  suffice  to  show  this 
braggart  the  ground  on  which  he  stands.  There  is  a 
codicil  written  by  Mrs.  Adair's  own  hand  after  the 
eavesdropper  who  made  herself  familiar  with  the  contents 


510      A     NEW     WAY     TO     WIN    A     FORTUNE. 

of  the  will  had  left  her  station  in  the  dressing-room.  I 
will  proceed  to  read  it,  that  the  prisoners  may  know 
how  little  hope  is  left  to  either  of  them  of  wringing  money 
from  the  heiress." 

The  codicil  simply  revoked  the  entire  bequest  to  Clare 
unless  she  gave  her  hand  to  Jasper  Clifford  within  six 
months  after  Mrs.  Adair's  decease.  If  she  failed  to  do 
so,  the  income  derived  from  the  property  was  to  be  paid 
over  to  Mr.  Clifford  for  five  years,  in  liquidation  of  his 
claim  against  the  estate;  then  it  was  to  pass  into  the 
hands  of  trustees,  the  house  to  be  converted  into  an  in- 
dustrial school  for  boys,  who  were  to  be  taught  agricul- 
ture practically  by  laboring  in  the  fields  the  testator 
would  not  permit  to  be  divided.  The  negroes  were  to 
be  sold  to  raise  an  endowment  fund  to  pay  the  professors 
employed. 

As  Spiers  listened,  for  the  first  time  he  looked  crest- 
fallen. Mr.  Clifford  turned  to  him,  and  triumphantly 
asked : 

"What  do  you  say  now,  sir,  to  your  shadowy  claim 
on  Miss  Desmond's  hand?  As  your  wife,  she  will  have 
nothing.  Knowing  that,  have  you  such  love  for  her  as 
will  lead  you  to  brave  poverty  for  her  sake  ?  " 

Spiers  sullenly  replied : 

"  I  say  this,  sir :  that  the  girl,  without  the  money, 
would  only  be  an  incumbrance  to  me.  If  I  give  up  all 
claim  on  her,  she  will  be  able  to  pay  me  well ;  and  if 
she  wishes  me  to  let  her  alone,  she  had  best  make  it 
worth  my  while." 

Mr.  Desmond  spoke  for  his  daughter. 

"  Not  a  cent  shall  you  have,  now  or  ever,  miserable 
caitiff  that  you  are !  If  you  remain  in  this  country,  I 


CONCLUSION.  511 

will  prosecute  both  you  and  your  accomplice  to  the 
utmost  extent  of  the  law,  and  send  you  to  the  peniten- 
tiary to  expiate  the  crime  you  have  committed  against 
the  peace  of  a  whole  family." 

"  The  old  girl  wasn't  killed  by  us,  nor  by  any  one 
else,  if  that  precious  Beal  is  to  be  believed,"  said  Spiers, 
lightly.  "Then  what  can  you  do  to  us?  Your  own 
daughter's  name  wouldn't  be  spared  in  the  trial,  so  I  am 
not  afraid  of  a  prosecution." 

"  But  I  am,"  said  Claudia,  suddenly  rising,  and  look- 
ing around.  She  could  ruthlessly  plan  and  carry  out 
he^  schemes  as  long  as  danger  did  not  menace  herself; 
but  at  its  first  glimpse  her  courage  failed  her,  and  she 
was  ready  to  make  any  concessions  that  would  save  her- 
self and  the  man  she  loved  desperately,  in  spite  of  his 
baseness.  "  We  will  go  away  from  this  country,  if  we 
are  permitted  to  do  so,  never  to  return.  Keep  your 
pledges  to  me,  Mr.  Clifford,  and  mine  shall  be  kept  to 
you.  John  Spiers  will  be  guided  by  me  in  what  I  know 
is  for  our  mutual  good." 

Spiers  made  a  faint  show  of  resistance,  but  he  knew 
as  well  as  Claudia  that  no  hope  of  a  compromise  was 
left.  He  must  accept  the  terras  offered,  or  be  delivered 
over  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  law.  He  chose  the 
former,  after  some  further  display  of  insolence,  and  was 
removed  from  the  room,  together  with  Claudia,  after 
pledging  himself  to  leave  the  country  forever. 

A  few  hundred  dollars,  still  due  to  Miss  Coyle  for  her 
services  to  Mrs.  Adair,  were  paid,  and  so  careless  a  watch 
was  kept  upon  the  prisoners  that  before  the  steamer  came 
down  that  evening  they  were  far  away.  The  trunks  of 
Claudia  were  sent  to  New  York  to  an  address  she  left 


512       A    NEW    WAY    TO     WIN     A     FORTUNE. 

in  her  room,  and  neither  she  nor  Spiers  were  ever  heard 
of  afterward. 

Clare  recovered  her  health,  and  before  the  six  months 
expired  gave  her  hand  to  Jasper.  They  lived  at  River- 
dale,  and  Mr.  Clifford  remained  with  them. 

Four  thousand  a  year  had  been  secured  to  Mrs.  Des- 
mond, and  she  repurchased  their  old  home  in  Norfolk, 
and  lived  there  in  peace  and  plenty.  In  due  time 
Christine  married  George  Beal,  whose  fortunes  prospered 
under  her  parents'  care,  and  they  lived  near  them. 

Judith  Brooke  and  her  faithful  lover  were  united, 
and  Mr.  Bowden  consented  that  she  should  remain  with 
her  father  till  Walter  married.  This  happened  a  year 
later,  and  Phoebe  Simpson  was  the  bride  he  brought 
home  to  brighten  the  old  man's  life,  and  atone  to  him 
for  breaking  off  his  match'  with  Mrs.  Harte. 

The  charming  widow  never  ventured  in  that  neighbor- 
hood again,  but  she  eventually  found  a  rich  husband  to 
take  on  himself  the  burden  of  herself  and  family. 


THE     END. 


T.  B.  PETERSON  «,  BROTHERS'  PUBLICATIONS. 


NEW  BOOKS  ISSUED  EVEKY.  WEEK. 

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Lady  of  the  I>!e 

A  Noble  Lord,  
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Allworth  Abbey 

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The  Missing  Bride;  or,  Miriam 

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Fashion  and  Famine,  

Married  in  Haste,  

Mabel's  Mistake,  ..,  
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2    T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS'  PUBLICATIONS. 
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4    T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS'  PUBLICATIONS. 


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The  French,  German,  Spanish,  Latin  and  Italian  Languages  Without 
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WORKS  BY  THE  VERY  BEST   AUTHORS. 

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Flirtations  in  Fashionable  Life.     By  Catharine  Sinclair, 

False  Pride;  or,  Two  Ways  to  Matrimony.     A  Charming  Book, 

The  Heiress  in  the  Family.     By  Mrs.  Mackenzie  Daniel, 

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Country  Quarters.     By  the  Countess  of  Blessin<*ton, 

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The  Lost  Beauty.     By  a  Noted  Lady  of  the  Spanish  Court 

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by  T.  B.   Peterson  &  Brothers,  Philadelphia,  Fa. 


T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS'  PUBLICATIONS.   5 
WORKS  BY  THE  VERY  BEST  AUTHORS. 

The  following  books  are    each    issued   in    one   large  duodecimo  volume, 
bound  in  cloth,  at  $1.75  each,  or  each  one  is  in  paper  cover  at  $1.50  each. 
The  Count  of  Monte-Cristo.     By  Alexander  Dumas.     Illustrated,...?!  75 
The  Countess  of  Monte-Cristo.     Paper  cover,  price  $1.00;  or  cloth,..  1  75 

Camilla;  or,  the  Fate  of  a  Coquette.     By  Alexander  Dumas, 1  75 

My  Hero.     By  Mrs.  Forrester.     A  Charming  Love  Story, 1  75 

Tiie  Quaker  Soldier.  A  Revolutionary  Romance.  By  Judge  Jones,.... 
The  Man  of  the  World.  An  Autobiography.  By  William  North,... 
The  Queen's  Favorite  ;  or,  The  Price  of  a  Crown.  A  Love  Story,... 

Solf  Love;  or,  The  Afternoon  of  Single  and  Married  Life, 

Memoirs  of  Vidoeq,  the  French  Detective.    His  Life  and  Adventure.-!, 

The  Clyffards  of  Clyife,  by  author  of  "Lost  Sir  Massingberd," 

Camors.  "  The  Man  of  the  Second  Empire."  By  Octave  Feuillet,.. 
Life,  Speeches  and  Martyrdom  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  Illustrated,... 
The  Beile  of  Washington.  With  her  Portrait.  By  Mrs.  N.  P.  Lasselle, 
Cora  Bolmont ;  or,  The  Sincere  Lover.  A  True  Story  of  the  Heart,. 
The  Lover's  Trials;  or  Days  before  1776.  By  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Denison, 
High  Life  in  Washington.  A  Life  Picture.  By  Mrs.  N.  P.  Lasselle, 

The  Beautiful  Widow;  or,  Lodore.     By  Mrs.  Percy  B.  Shelley, 

Love  and  Money.  By  J.  B.  Jones,  author  of  the  "  Rival  Belles,"... 
The  Matchmaker.  A  Story  of  High  Life.  By  Beatrice  Reynold?,.. 
The  Brother's  Secret ;  or,  the  Count  De  Mara.  By  William  Godwin. 
The  Lost  Love.  By  Mrs.  Oliphant,  author  of  "  Margaret  Maitland/' 
The  Roman  Traitor.  By  Henry  William  Herbert.  A  Roman  Story, 

The  Bohemians  of  London.     By  Edward  M.  Whitty, 

The  Rival  Belles;  or,  Life  in  Washington.     By  J.  B.  Jones, 

The  Devoted  Bride.  A  Story  of  the  Heart.  By  St.  George  Tucker, 
Love  and  Duty.  By  Mrs.  Hubback,  author  of  "  May  and  December," 
Wild  Sports  and  Adrentures  in  Africa.  By  Major  W.  C.  Harris, 
Courtship  and  Matrimony.  By  Robert  Morris.  With  a  Portrait,... 

The  Jealous  Husband.     By  Annette  Marie  Maillard, 

The  Refugee.      By  Herman  Melville,  author  of  "  Omoo,"  "  Typee," 

The  Life,  Writings,  and  Lectures  of  the  late  "  Fanny  Fern," 

The  Life  and  Lectures  of  Lola  Montez,  with  her  portrait, 

Wild  Southern  Scenes.     By  author  of  "  Wild  Western  Scenes," 

Currer  Lyle  :  or,  the  Autobiography  of  an  Actress.  By  Louise  Reeder. 
Coal,  Coal  Oil,  and  all  other  Minerals  in  the  Earth.  By  Eli  Bowen, 

The  Cabin  and  Parlor.     By  J.  Thornton  Randolph.     Illustrated, 

The  Little  Beauty.     A  Love  Story.     By  Mrs.  Grey 

Secession,  Coercion,  and  Civil  War.     By  J.  B.  Jones, 

Lizzie  Glenn  ;  or,  the  Trials  of  a  Seamstress.     By  T.  S.  Arthur 

Lady  Maud  ;  or,  the  Wonder  of  Kingswood  Chase.    By  Pierce  Egan, 

Wilfred  Montrossor;  or,  High  Life  in  New  York.     Illustrated 

The  Old  Stone  Mansion.  ByC.  J.  Peterson,  author  "Kate  Aylesford," 
Kate  Aylesford.  By  Chas.  J.  Peterson,  author  "  Old  Stone  Mansion,". 

Lorriraer  Littlegood,  by  author  "  Harry  Coverdale's  Courtship," 

The  Earl's  Secret.     A  Love  Story.     By  Miss  Pardoe, 

The  Adopted  Heir.  By  Miss  Pardoe,  author  of  "The  Earl's  Secret,         ,a 

Above  books  are  each  in  cloth,  or  each  one  is  in  paper  cover,  at  $1 
The  Dead  Secret.    By  Wilkie  Collins,  author  "  The  Crossed  Path,"... 

The  Crossed  Path  ;  or  Basil.     By  Wilkie  Collins, 

Indiana.  A  Love  Story.  By  George  Sand,  author  of  "  CoiiMielo, 
Jealousy  ;  or,  Teverino.  By  George  Sand,  mitfenrrf"  Constielo,  etc. 
Six  Ni"hts  with  the  Washin-tonians,  Illustrated.  By  T.  S.  Arthur, 


^°  Above  Books  will  bo  sent,  postage  paid,  on  Receipt  of  Retail  Price, 
by  T.  B.  Peterson  &  Brothers,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


6  T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS'  PUBLICATIONS. 
WORKS  BY  THE  VERY  BEST  AUTHORS. 

The  following  bonks  are  each  issued  in  one  larye  duodecimo  volume, 
bound  i/t  clutk,  at  $1.75  each,  or  each  one  is  in  paptr  cote;-,  at  $1.50  each. 
The  Conscript;  or,  the  Days  of  Napoleon  1st.  By  Alex.  Dumns,....$l  75 
Cousin  Harry.  By  Mrs.  Urey,  author  of  "The  Gambler's  WiR-,"  etc.  1  75 
Saratoga.  An  Indian  Tale  of  Frontier  Life.  A  true  Story  of  1787,..  1  7o 

Married  at  Last.     A  Love  Story.     By  Annie  Tnouias, 1  75 

Shoulder  Straps.     By  Henry  Morford,  author  of  "  Days  of  Siioddy,"  1   75 
Days  of  Shoddy.     By  Henry  Morford,  author  of  "Shoulder  Straps,"  1  75 

The  Coward.     By  Henry  Morford,  author  of  "  Shoulder  Straps," 1  75 

The  Cavalier.  By  G.  P.  R.James,  author  of  "Lord  Montagu's  Page,"  1  75 

Rose  Foster.     By  George  W.  M.  Reynolds,  Esq., 1  75 

Lord  Montagu's  Page.     By  G.  P.  R.  James,  author  of  "  Cavalier,"...  1  75 
Mrs.  Emuia  D.  E.  N.  Southworth's  Popular  Novels.   38  vols.  in  all,  66  50 

Mrs.  Ann  S.  Stephens'  Celebrated  Novels.  22  volumes  in  all, S3  50 

Miss  Eliza  A.  Dupuy's  Works.     Thirteen  volumes  in  all, 22  25 

Mrs.  Caroline  Lee  Hentz's  Novels.     Twelve  volumes  in  all, 21  00 

Frederika  Bremer's  Novels.     Six  volumes  in  all, 10  50 

T.  A.  Trollope's  Works.     Seven  volumes  in  all, 12  25 

James  A.  Maitland's  Novels.     Seven  volumes  in  all, 12  25 

Q.  K.  Philander  Doestiek's  Novels.     Four  volumes  in  all, 7  00 

Cook  Books.     The  best  in  the  world.     Eleven  volumes  in  ail, 1925 

Henry  Morford's  Novels.     Three  volumes  in  all, 5  25 

Mrs.  Henry  Wood's  Novels.     Seventeen  volumes  in  all, 29  75 

Emerson  Bennett's  Novels.     Seven  volumes  in  all 12  25 

Green's  Works  on  Gambling.     Four  volumes  in  all, 7  00 

Above  books  are  each  in  cloth,  or  each  one  is  in  paper  cover,  at  $1.50  each. 

The  following  books  are  each   issued   in  one  large  octavo  volume,  bound   in 
cloth,  at  $2.00  each,  or  each  one  is  done  up  in  paper  cover,  at  $1.50  each. 

The  Wandering  Jew.     By  Eugene  Sue.     Full  of  Illustrations, $2  00 

Mysteries  of  Paris;  and  its  Sequel,  Gerolstein.     By  Eugene  Sue,....  2  CO 

Martin,  the  Foundling.     By  Eugene  Sue.     Full  of  Illustrations, 2  00 

Ten  Thousand  a  Year.     By  Samuel  Warren.     With  Illustrations,....  2  00 

Washington  and  His  Generals.     By  George  Lippard 2  00 

The  Quaker  City;  or,  the  Monks  of  Monk  Hall.     By  George  Lippard,  2  00 

Blanche  of  Brandywine.     By  George  Lippard, 2  00 

Paul  Ardenheim;  the  Monk  of  Wissahickon.     By  George  Lippard,.  2  00 

The  Pictorial  Tower  of  London.     By  W.  Harrison  Ainsworth, 2  50 

Above  books  are  each  in  cloth,  or  each  one  is  in  paper  cover,  at  $1.50  each. 

Tlie  following  are  each  issued  in  one  large  octavo  volume,  bmmrl  in  cloth,  price  $2.00 
each,  or  a  cheap  edition  is  issued  in  paper  cover,  at  75  cents  each. 

Charles  O'Malley,  the  Irish  Dragoon.    By  Charles  Lever, Cloth,  $2  00 

Harry  Lorrequer.    With  his  Confessions.    By  Charles  Lever,. ..Cloth,    200 

Jack  Ilinton,  the  Guardsman.     By  Charles  Lever, Cloth,    2  00 

Davenport  Dunn.     A  Man  of  Our  Day.     By  Charles  Lever,. ..Cloth,    200 

Tom  Burke  of  Ours.     By  Charles  Lever Cloth,    2  CO 

The  Knistht  of  Gwynne.     By  Charles  Lever, Cloth,    2  00 

Arthur  O'Leary.     By  Charles  Lever, Cloth,    2  00 

Con  Cregan.     By  Charles  Lever, Cloth,    2  00 

Horace  Templeton.     By  Charles  Lever, Cloth,    2  HO 

Kate  O'Donoghue.     By  Charles  Lcvor, Cloth,    2  00 

Valentine  Vox,  the  Ventriloquist.     By  Harry  Cockton Cloth,    2  00 

Above  are  each  ia  cloth,  or  each  one  is  in  paper  cover,  at  75  cents  each. 

l£g~  Above  Books  will  be  sent,  postage  paid,  on  receipt  of  Retail  Price, 
by  T.  B.  Peterson  &  Brothers,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS'  PUBLICATIONS.  7 
NEW  AND  GOOD  BOOKS  BY  BEST  AUTHORS. 

Beautiful  Snow,  and  Other  Poems.  New  Illustrated  Edition.  By  J. 
W.  Watson.  With  Illustrations  by  E.  L.  Henry.  One  volume,  green 
moroceo  cloth,  gilt  top,  side,  and  back,  price  $2.00;  or  in  maroon 

morocco  cloth,  full  gilt  edges,  full  gilt  back,  full  gilt  sides,  etc., $3  00 

The  Outcast,  and  Other   Poems.     By  J.  W.  Watson.     One   volume, 
green  tnoroee.)  cloth,  gilt  top,  side  and  back,  price  $2.00;  or  in  ma- 
roon tnorocoo  cloth,  full  gilt  edges,  full  gilt  back,  full  gilt  sides, ...  3  00 
The  Young   Magdalen;    and  Other   Poeina.     By  Francis  S.  Smith, 
editor  of  "  The  New  York  Weekly."     With  a  portrait  of  the  author. 
Complete  in  one  largo  volume  of  300  pages,  bound  in  green  mo- 
rocco cloth,  gilt  top,  side,  and  back,  price  $3.00 ;    or  in  maroon 
morocco  cloth,  full  gilt  edges,  full  gilt  back,  full  gilt  sides,  etc......  4  00 

Hans  Breitmann's  Ballads.  By  Charles  G.  Leland.  Volume  One.  Con- 
taining the  "  Pint,"  "  Second,"  and  "  Third  Series"  of  the  "  Breit- 
mann  Ballads,"  bound  in  morocco  cloth,  gilt,  beveled  boards, 3  00 

Hans  Breitmann's  Ballads.  By  Charles  G.  Leland.  Volume  Two. 
Containing  the  "Fourth"  and  "Fifth  Series"  of  the  "  Breitmann 
Ballads,"  bound  in  morocco  cloth,  gilt,  beveled  boards 2  00 

Hans  Breitmann's  Ballads.  By  Charles  G.  Leland.  Being  the  above 
two  volumes  complete  in  one.  In  one  large  volume,  bound  in 
morocco  cloth,  gilt  side,  gilt  top,  and  full  gilt  back,  with  beveled 
boards.  With  a  full  and  complete  Glossary  to  the  whole  work, 4  00 

Meister  Karl's  Sketch  Book.  By  Charles  G.  Leland,  (Hans  Breit- 
mann.) Complete  in  one  volume,  green  morocco  cloth,  gilt  lide, 
gilt  top,  gilt  back,  with  beveled  boards,  price  $2.50,  or  in  maroon 
morocco  cloth,  full  gilt  edges,  full  gilt  back,  full  gilt  sides,  etc., 3  50 

Historical  Sketches  of  Plymouth,  Luzerne  Co.,  Penna.  By  Hendrick 
B.  Wright,  of  Wilkesb  irre.  With  Twenty-five  Photographs 4  00 

John  Jasper's  Secret.     A  Sequel  to  Charles  Dickens'  "Mystery  of 

Edwin  Drood."     With  18  Illustrations.     Bound  in  cloth, 2  00 

The  Last  Athenian.  From  the  Swedish  of  Victor  Rydberg.  Highly 
recommended  by  Fredrika  Bremer.  Paper  $1.50,  or  in  cloth, 2  00 

Across  the  Atlantic.  Letters  from  France,  Switzerland,  Germany, 
Italy,  and  England.  By  C.  H.  Haeseler,  M.D.  Bound  in  cloth,...  2  00 

The  Ladies'  Guide  to  True  Politeness  and  Perfect  Manners.  By 
Miss  Leslie.  Every  lady  should  have  if.  Cloth,  full  gilt  back....  1  75 

The  Ladies'  Complete  Guide  to  Needlework  and  Embroidery.  With 
113  illustrations.  By  Miss  Lambert.  Cloth,  full  gilt  back, 1  75 

The  Ladies'  Work  Table  Book.      With  27  illustrations.     Cloth,  gilt,.  1  50 

The  Story  of  Elizabeth.  By  Miss  Thackeray,  paper  $1.00,  or  cloth,...  1  60 

Dow's  Short  Patent  Sermon?.  By  Dow,  Jr.  In  4  vols.,  cloth,  each....  1  50 

Wild  Oats  Sown  Abroad.    A  Spicy  Book.    By  T.  B.  Witmer,  cloth,...  1  50 

Aunt  Patty's  Scrap  Bag.  By  Mrs.  Caroline  Lee  Hentz,  author  of 
"  Linda,"  etc.  Full  of  Illustrations,  and  bound  in  cloth, 1  50 

Hollick's  Anatomy  and  Physiology  of  the  Human  Figure.  Illustrated 
by  a  perfect  dissected  plate  of  the  Human  Organization,  and  by 
other  separate  plates  of  the  Human  Skeleton,  such  as  Arteries, 
Veins,  the  Heart,  Lungs,  Trachea,  etc.  Illustrated.  Bound 2  00 

Life  and  Adventures  of  Don  Quixote  and  his  Squire  Sancho  Panza, 
complete  in  ono  large  volume,  paper  cover,  for  $1.00,  or  in  cloth,..  1  75 

The  Laws  and  Practice  of  the  Gnme  of  Euchre,  as  adopted  by  the 
Euchre  Club  of  Washington.  D.  C.  Bound  in  cloth, 1  00 

Riddell's  Model  Architect.  With  22  large  full  page  colored  illus- 
trations, and  44  plates  of  ground  plans,  with  plans,  specification*, 
costs  of  building,  etc.  One  large  quarto  volume,  bound, $15  00 

O°  Above  Books  will  be  sent,  postage  paid,  on  receipt  of  Retail  Price, 
by  T.  B.  Peterson  &  Brothers,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


8    T.  B.  PETESSON  &  BEOTHEES'  PUBLICATIONS. 


NEW  AND  GOOD  BOOKS  BY  BEST  AUTHORS. 

Treason  at  Home.     A  Novel.     By  Mrs.  Greenough,  cloth  ...............  SI  75 


Letters  from  Europe.    By  Colonel  John  W.  Forney.  Bound  in  cloth, 
Frank  Fairleigh.     By  author  of  "  Lewis  Arundel,"  cloth,  ................ 

Lewis  Arundel.     By  author  of  "  Frank  Fairleigh,"  cloth,  ............... 

Moore's  Life  of  Hon.  Sehuyler  Colfax,  with  a  Portrait  on  steel,  cloth, 
Whitefriars;   or,  The  Days  of  Charles  the  Second.     Illustrjted,  ....... 

Tan-go-ru-a.     An  Historical  Drama,  in  Prose.  By  Mr.  Moorhead,  ____ 

The  impeachment  Trial  of  President  Andrew  Johnson.     Cloth,  ....... 

Trial  of  the  Assassins  for  the  Murder  of  Abraham  Lincoln.     Cioth,... 
Lives  of  Jack  Sheppard  and  Guy  Fawkes.  Illustrated.  One  vol.,  cloth, 
Consuelo,  and  Countess  of  Rudolstadt.    One  volume,  cloth  ................ 

Monsieur  Antoine.     By  George   Sand.     Illustrated.     One  vol.,  cloth, 
Aurora  Floyd.    By  Miss  Braddon.     One  vol.,  paper  75  cents,  cloth, 


75 
75 
75 
50 
00 
00 
611 
50 
75 
(.HI 
IK) 
(JO 
Christy  and  White's  Complete  Ethiopian  Melodies,  bound  in  cloth,...  1  HO 

The  Life  of  Charles  Dickens.     By  R.  Shelton  Mackenzie,  cloth,  2  00 

The  Life  of  Edwin  Forrest;  with  Reminiscences  and  Personal  Recol- 
lections.    By  Colley  Gibber.     With  a  Portrait  and  Autograph, 2  00 

Poetical  Works  of  Sir  Walter  Scott.     One  Svo.  volume,  fine  binding,  5  00 

Life  of  Sir  Walter  Scott.     By  John  G.  Lockhart.     With  Portr.iit 2  50 

The  Shakspeare  Novels.  Complete  in  one  large  octavo  volume,  cloth,  4  00 
Miss  Pardoe's  Choice  Novels.  In  one  large  octavo  volume,  cloth,...  4  00 
The  Waverley  Novels.  National  Edition.  Five  large  Svo.  vols.,  cloth,  15  00 
Charles  Dickens'  Works.  People's  12/no.  Edition.  22  vols.,  cloth,  34  00 
Charles  Dickens'  Works.  Green  Cloth  \2rno.  Edition.  22  vols.,  cloth,  44  00 
Charles  Dickens'  Works.  Illustrated  12»»o.  Edition.  36  vols.,  cloth,  55  00 
Charles  Dickens'  Works.  Illustrated  8co.  Edition.  18  vols.,  cloth,  31  50 
Charles  Dickens'  Works.  New  National  Edition.  1  volumes,  cloth,  20  00 

HUMOEOUS  ILLUSTEATED  WOEKS. 

Each  one  is  full  of  Illustrations,  by  Felix  0.  C.  Lfarlty,  and  bound  in  Cloth. 

Major  Jones'  Courtship  and  Travels.     With   21   Illustrations, $1  75 

M;ijor  Jones'  Scenes  in  Georgia.     With  16  Illustrations, 1   75 

Siinon  Suggs'  Adventures  and  Travels.     With   17  Illustrations, 1  75 

Swamp  Doctor's  Adventures  in  the  South- West.     14  Illustrations-',...  1   75 

Col.  Thorpe's  Scenes  in  Arkansaw.     With  16  Illustrations, 1    75 

The  Big  Bear's  Adventures  and  Travels.   With  18  Illustration?, 1   75 

High  Life  in  New  York,  by  Jonathan    Slick.     With  Illustrations,....  1   75 

Judge  JIaliburtou's  Yankee  Stories.      Illustrated, 1  75 

Harry  Coverdale's  Courtship  and  Marriage.     Illustrated, 1  75 

Piney  Wood's  Tavern;  or,  Sam  Sliek  in  Texas.     Illustrated, 1  75 

Sam  Slick,  the  Clockmakcr.     By  Judge  Haliburton.     Illustrated,...  1  75 

Humors  of  Falconbridge.     By  J.  F.  Kelley.     With   Illustrations, ...  1  75 

Modern  Chivalry.     By  Judge  Breckenridge.     Two  vols.,  each 1   75 

Noal's  Charcoal  Sketches.     By  Joseph  C.  Neal.     21  Illustrations,...  2  50 

MADAME  GEOEGE  SAND'S  WORKS. 

Consuelo,  12mo.,  cloth, $1   501  Jealous}',  12mo.  cloth, $1  50 

Countess  of  Rudolstadt, 1  50|  Indiana,  12mo.,  cloth, 1  50 

Above  are  only  published  in  12mo.,  cloth,  gilt  side  and  back. 

Fanchon,  the  Cricket,  price  $1.00  in  paper,  or  in  cloth, 1  50 

First  and  True  Love, 75|The  Corsair 50 

Siinon.     A  Love  Story 50  |The  Last  Aldini, 50 

Monsieur  Antoine.     With  1 1   Illustrations.      Pnper,  75  ceiUs ;  cloth,  1  00 

Consuelo  and  Countess  of  Rudolsbidt,  octavo,  cloth, 2  00 

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T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS'  PUBLICATIONS.     9 
DUMAS',  REYNOLDS',  AND  OTHER  BOOKS  IN  CL01IT. 

The  fallowing   are  cloth  editions  of  the  following  good  book*,  and  they  art 

each  issued  in  one  large  volume,  bound  in  cloth,  price  $1.75  each. 
The  Three  Guardsmen  ;  or.  The  Three  Mousquetaires.  By  A.  Dnmas,$l  75 
Twenty  Years  After;  or  the  '•  Second  Series  of  Three  Guardsmen,"... 
Bragelonne;  Son  of  Athos  ;  or  "  Third  Series  of  Three  Guardsmen," 
The  Iron  Mask  ;  or  the  "  Fourth  Series  of  The  Three  Guardsmen.".... 
Louise  La  Valliere;  or  the  "Fifth  Series  and  End  of  the  Three 

Guardsmen  Series," 

The  Memoirs  of  a  Physician.  By  Alexander  Dumas.  Illustrated,... 
Queen's  Necklace;  or  "  Second  Series  of  Memoirs  of  a  Physician," 
Six  Years  Later;  or  the  "  Third  Series  of  Memoirs  of  a  Physician," 
Countess  of  Charny;  or  "Fourth  Series  of  Memoirs  of  a  Physician." 
Andree  De  Taverney ;  or  "  Fifth  Series  of  Memoirs  of  a  Physician," 
The  Chevalier;  or  the  "  Sixth  Series  and  End  of  the  Memoirs  of  a 

Physician  Series," 

The  Adventures  of  a  Marquis.     By  Alexander  Dumas 

Edmond  Dantes.     A  Sequel  to  the  "  Count  of  Monte-Cristo," 

The  Forty-Five  Guardsmen.  By  Alexander  Dumas.  Illustrated,... 
Diana  of  Meridor,  or  Lady  of  Monsoreau.  By  Alexander  Dumas,... 
The  Iron  Hand.  By  Alex.  Dumas,  author  "Count  of  Monte-Cristo," 
The  Mysteries  of  the  Court  of  London.  By  George  W.  M.  Reynolds, 
Rose  Foster;  or  the  "Second  Series  of  Mysteries  of  Court  of  London," 
Caroline  of  Brunswick ;  or  the  "  Third  Series  of  the  Court  of  London," 
VenetiaTrelawney;  or  "  End  of  the  Mysteries  of  the  Court  of  London," 

Lord  S.-ixondale;  or  the  Court  of  Queen  Victoria.    By  Reynolds, 

Count  Christoval.    Sequel  to  "Lord  Saxondale."     By  Reynolds, 

Rosa  Lambert;  or  Memoirs  of  an  Unfortunate  Woman.  By  Reynolds, 
Mary  Price;  or  the  Adventures  of  a  Servant  Maid.  By  Reynolds,... 
Eustace  Quentin.  Sequel  to  "  Mary  Price."  By  Q.  W.  M.  Reynolds, 
Joseph  Wilmot;  or  the  Memoirs  of  a  Man  Servant.  By  Reynolds,... 

Banker's  Daughter.  Sequel  to  "Joseph  Wilmot."    By  Reynolds, 

Kenneth.      A  Romance  of  the  Highlands.      By  G.  W.  M.  Reynolds, 

Rye-IIouso  Plot;   or  the  Conspirator's  Daughter.   By  Reynolds, 

Necromancer;  or  the  Times  of  Henry  the  Eighth.    By  Reynolds, 

Within  the  Maze.  By  Mrs.  Henry  Wood,  author  of  "East  Lynne,". 
Dene  Hollow.  By  Mrs.  Henry  Wood,  author  of"  Within  the  MHZC," 
Bessy  Rane.  B/  Mrs.  Henry  Wood,  author  of  "  The  Channings,".... 
George  Canterbury's  Will.  By  Mrs.  Wood,  author  "Oswald  Crny," 
The  Channings.  By  Mrs.  Henry  Wood,  author  of  "  Dene  Hollow,"... 

Roland  Yorke.     A  Sequel  to  "  The  Channings."    By  Mrs.  Wood, 

Shadow  of  Ashlydyatt.    By  Mrs.  Wood,  author  of  "  Bessy  Rane," 

Lord  Oakburn's  Daughters;  or  The  Earl's  Heirs.  By  Mrs.  Wood,... 
Yerner's  Pride.  By  Mrs.  Henry  Wood,  author  of  "The  Channing?," 
The  Castle's  Heir;  or  Lady  Adelaide's  Oath.  By  Mrs.  Henry  Wood, 
Oswald  Cray.  By  Mrs.  Henry  Wood,  author  of  "  Roland  Yorke,".... 

Squire  Trovlyn's  Heir;  or  Trevlyn  Hold.     By  Mrs.  Henry  Wood, 

The  Red  Court  Fiirm.    By  Mrs.  Wood,  author  of  "  Verner's  Pride,"... 

Elster' 

St.* 

Mild 

The  Miser's  Daughter.      By  Williiiin  Harrison  Ainsworth,  

The  Mysteries  of  Florence.  By  Geo.  Lippard,  author  "  Quaker  City," 

%&•  Above  Books  will  be  sent,  postage  paid,  on  receipt  of  Eetail  Price, 
by  T.  B.  Peterson  &  Brothers,  Philadelphia,  Pa, 


CHARLES  DICKENS'  WORKS. 

#*-  GREAT    REDUCTION    IN    THEIR    PRICES. -«a 


PEOPLE'S  DUODECIMO  EDITION.     ILLUSTRATED. 

Reduced  in  price  from  $2.50  to  SI. 50  a  volume. 
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David  Copperfield, Cloth,  1.50 

Oliver  Twist, Cloth,  1.50 

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A  Tale  of  Two  Cities,. ..Cloth,  1.50 


Dombey  and  Son Cloth,     1.50 

Christinas   Stories, Cloth,     1.50 


Sketches  by  "  Boz," Cloth,  1.50 

Barnaby  Rudge, Cloth,  1.50 

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Dickens'  New  Stories,..Cloth,  1.50 


Mystery  of  Edwin  Brood ;  and  Master  Humphrey's  Clock, Cloth,     1.50 

American  Notes;  and  the  Uncommercial  Traveller, Cloth,     1.50 

Hunted  Down;  and  other  Reprinted  Pieces, Cloth,     1.50 

The  Holly-Tree  Inn;  and  other  Stories, Cloth,     1.50 

The  Life  and  Writings  of  Charles  Dickens, Cloth,     2.00 

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Price  of  a  set,  in  Black  cloth,  in  twenty-two  volumes, $34.00 

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ILLUSTRATED  DUODECIMO  EDITION. 
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Hunted  Down:  and  other  Reprinted  Pieces, Cloth,     1.50 

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(10) 


CHARLES   DICKENS'  WORKS, 

«3-GBEAT    HEDUCTION  IN  THEIB  PRICES. -«* 


ILLUSTRATED  OCTAVO  EDITION. 

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Our  Mutual  Friend, Cloth,  $1.75 

Pickwick  Papers Cloth,     1.75 

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Lamplighter's  Story,.. ..Cloth,     1.75 
—        ~  1.75 


1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 


David  Copperfield, Cloth,  $1.75 


irnaby  Rudge, Cloth, 

Martin  Chuzzlewit, Cloth, 

Old  Curiosity  Shop, Cloth, 

Christmas  Stories, Cloth, 

Dickens'  New  Stories,...Cloth, 


1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.76 


A  Tale  of  Two  Cities,. ..Cloth, 
American  Notes  and 
Pic-Nic  Papers, Cloth,    1.75 


Oliver  Twist, Cloth, 

Bleak  House, Cloth, 

Little  Don-it, Cloth, 

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"NEW  NATIONAL  EDITION"  OF  DICKENS'  WOEKS. 

This  is  the  cheapest  bound  edition  of  the  works  of  Charles  Dickens,  pub- 
lished, all  his  writings  being  contained  in  teven  large,  octavo  volumes, 
with  a  portrait  of  Charles  Dickens,  and  other  illustrations. 

Price  of  a  set,  in  Black  cloth,  in  seven  volumes, $20.00 

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CHEAP  PAPEE  COVEE  EDITION  OF  DICKENS'  WOEKS. 

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Nicholas  Nickleby                           50 

Little  Dorrit,                               .     60 

Dombey  and  Son,  50 
Our  Mutual  Friend,  50 
David  Copperfield,  50 

Christmas  Stories,  50 
Barnaby  Rudge,  60 
Sketches  by  "Boz,"  50 
Great  Expectations,  50 

Martin  Chuzzlewit,  50 

Oliver  Twist  50 

The  Pic-Nic  Papers,  60 

American  Notes,  25 
Hnrd  Times,  25 

The  Haunted  House,  25 
Uncommercial  Traveller,  25 
A  House  to  Let                                25 

A  Tale  of  Two  Cities                         25 

Somebody's  Luggage,  25 
Mrs.  Lirriper's  Lodgings,  25 
Mrs.  Lirriper's  Legacy,  25 
Mugby  Junction,  25 
Dr.  Marigold's  Prescriptions,...     25 
Mystery  of  Edwin  Drood,  25 
Messnge  from  the  Sea,  25 
Hunted  Down;  and  Other  Reprinted 

THE  LIFE  AND  WEITING 
THE  LIFE  OF  CHAELES  DICKE 

containing  a  full  history  of   his  L 
and  Verse  ;  Personal  Recollections 
full  ;    and  Letters   from   Mr.  Dich 
a  Portrait  and  Autograph  of  Charle 

Perils  of  English  Prisoners,  25 
Wreck  of  the  Golden  Mary,  25 
Torn  Tiddler's  Ground,  25 
Dickens'  New  Stories,  25 
Lazy  Tour  Idle  Apprentices,  25 
The  Holly-Tree  Inn  25 

Pieces            50 

8  OF  CHAELES  DICKENS. 
NTS.      By   Dr.   R.   S.'ielfon  Macke»*it, 
fe,  his  Uncollected   Pieces,  in  Prose 
and  Anecdotes;    His  Lnst  Will  in 
ens  never   before  published.     With 
s  Dickens.    Price  $2.00.           (11) 

T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS'  PUBLICATIONS.   13 
CHARLES  LEVER'S  BEST  WORKS. 

Charles  O'Malley, 75  |  Arthur  O'Leary, 75 

Harry  Lorrequer, 75    Con  Cregan, *~~ 


Jack  Hinton, 75 

Tom  Burke  of  Ours, 75 

Kui^ht  of  G  wynne,... 


Davenport  Dunn, 7-3 

Horace  Tcmplcton, 75 

Kate  O'Donoghue, 75 


Above  are  ia  paper  cover,  or  a  fine  edition  is  in  cloth  at  $2.00  each. 
A  Rent  in  a  Cloud,  ..................   50  |  St.  Patrick's  Eve,  ....................  50 

Ten  Thousand  a  Year,  in  one  volume,  paper  cover,  $1.50;  or  in  cloth,  2  01) 
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The  Master  of  Greylands, $1  50 

Wiihin  the  Maze, 50 

50 

50 
50 
60 
60 


Dene  Hollow, 

Bessy  Rane.. 


George  Canterbury's  AVill, 

Verner's  Pride, 

The  Channings, 

Roland  Yorke.     A  Sequel  to  "  The  Channings,". 


The  Shadow  of  Ashlyclyat,  .....  $1  50 


Squire  Trevlyn's  Ht 

Oswald  Cray, 

Mildred  Arkull, 

The  Red  Court  Farm, 

Elster's  Folly, 

Saint  Martin's  Eve,.... 


Lord  Oiikburn's  Daughters;  or,  The  Earl's  Heirs,  ......................... 

The  Castle's  Heir;  or,  Lady  Adelaide's  Oath,  ............................... 

The  above  are  each  in  paper  cover,  or  in  cloth,  price  $1.75  each. 
The  Mystery,  .......................       75|  A  Life's  Secret  .....................       50 

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The   Lost  Will  .....................       50   The  Runaway  Match,  ............       25 

Orville  College  .....................       50   Martyn  Ware's  Temptation?,  ..       25 

Five  Thousand  a  Ye.ir,  .........       25  The  Dean  of  Denharn,  ..........       25 

The  Diamond  Bracelet,  .........       25   Foggy  Night  at  Offord,  ..........       25 

Clara  Lake's  Dream,  ............       25  ~~ 


The  Nobleman's  Wife, 


William  Allair 25 

A  Light  and  a  Dark  Christmas,  25 

Frances  Hildyar  1, '. 2o|  The  Smuggler's  Ghost, 25 

EUGENE  SUE'S  GREAT  WORKS. 

The  Wandering  Jew, $1  501  First  Love, 50 

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The  Old  Stone  Mansion, $1  50  I  Kate  Aylesford, $1  50 

The  above  are  each  in  paper  cover,  or  in  cloth,  price  $1.75  each. 

Cruising  in  the  Last  War, 75  I  Grnce  Dudley;  or,  Arnold  at 

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A  NEVr  BOOK,  BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF  "THE  HOUSEHOLD  OF  BOUVERIE." 

A  DOUBLE  WEDDING; 

OK,  * 

M@W   g&CI  WAS  Wm 

AN    ENTIRE    NEW   WORK 

BY  MRS.  C.  A.  WARFIELD. 

Author  of  "The  Household  of  Bouverie." 

Complete  in,  One  Large,  Duodecimo  Volume.    Sound  in  Morocco 
Cloth,  Full  Gilt  linck.    Price  $1.75. 

A  DOUBLE   WEDDING;    OR,  HOW   SHE  WAS  WON. 

"  The  Household  of  Bouverie  "  has  been  pronounced  by  all  the  best  writers  and 
>ritics  in  the  country  to  be  one  of  the  best  arid  most  remarkable  works  ever  written, 
and  we  predict  for  Sirs.  Wai-field's  new  book,  "A  DOUBLE  WEDDING;  OH,  HOW 
SHE  WAS  WON,"  as  great  a  popularity  ns  its  predecessor,  and  a  sale  equal  to  any 
work  of  the  kind  that  has  been  published  in  the  last  twenty  years. 

HESTER    HOWARD'S    TEMPTATION'S. 

T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS,  Philadelphia,  have  concluded  an  arrangement 
with  MRS.  C.  A.  WARFIKIJ),  the  well-known  Southern  writer,  and  author  of 
"THE  HOUSEHOLD  OF  BOUVEHIK,"  by  which  they  have  become  the  future 
publishers  of  all  her  works,  and  they  have  this  day  published  an  Entire  Xrw 
Wnik  from  her  pen,  under  the  title  of  "HESTER  HOWARD'S  TEMPTATION," 
wliL-h  she  had  been  engaged  in  writing  und  preparing  for  the  press  for  the  last 
eighteen  months.  This  work  lias  been  pronounced  by  critics  who  have  read  it 
In  manuscript,  to  be  superior  to  her  celebrated  work,  "  The  Household  of 
JSouvrrie."  It  will  bo  issued  in  one  large  duodecimo  volume,  in  uniform  style  and 
8ize\vith"A  Double  Wedding;  or,  How  She  Was  Won,"  and  with  "The  Household 
of  Bouverie,"  etc.,  and  be  bound  in  morocco  cloth,  gilt  side  and  back,  price  $1.75. 

AUTHOR'S  EDITION  OF  MRS.  WARFIELD'S  BOOKS. 

T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BHOT1IEKS  have  in  press,  and  will  issue  at  once,  thr  Author'} 
New  and  Revised  Rlilitn  of  all  nf  Mrs.  WarfichF*  celebrated  Works.  Each  book  will 
be  complete  in  one  large  duodecimo  volume,  and  be  printed  on  the  finest  white 
paper,  and  bound  in  morocco  cloth,  gilt  back  and  side,  and  published  at  the  low  price 
of  $1.75  a  volume,  in  place  of  $2.00  a  volume,  as  formerly. 

THE  HOUSEHOLD  OF  BOUVERIE. 

The  first  volume  of  the  Author's  New  Edition  of  Mrs.  Warfield's  Workt  is  published 
this  day,  being  "THE  HOUSEHOLD  01'  BOUVERIE;  on,  THE  ELIXIR  OF 
GOLD."  It  is  complete  in  one  large  duodecimo  volume  of  Eight  Hundred  pnges, 
containing  the  whole  of  the  two  volumes  as  originally  published,  both  volumes  being 
now  complete  in  one,  a-id  sold  at  the  low  price  of  81  75  for  the  complete  work. 


JK&-  Above  books  are  for  sale  by  all  Booksellers.  Copies  of  cither  one,  or  all  of 
the  above  books,  will  be  sent  at  once  to  any  one,  to  any  place,  postage  pre-pald,  on 
remitting  their  price  to  the  Publishers, 

T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS, 

300  CHESTNVT  STREET,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


AUTHOR'S  NEW  EDITION  OP  "THE  HOUSEHOLD  OF  BOCVER1E." 

THE  HOUSEHOLD  OF  BOUVERIE; 

OR, 

TEE   ELIXIR   OF   GOLD. 
BY    MRS.    C.    A.    WARFSELD. 

Author  of  "  llester  Howard's  Temptation,"    "  A  Double  Wedding ;  or,  How 
She  Was  Won,"  etc. 

AUTHOR'S  NEW,  COMPLETE  AJSTD  UNIFORM  EDITION. 

Complete  in   One  Large  Duodecimo   Volume   of  8O»  pages. 
Bound  in  Morocco  Vloili,  full  Gilt  Buck.    Pi-ice  $1.75. 


THE  HOUSEHOLD  OF  BOUVEHIE. 

"THE  HOUSEHOLD  OF  BOUVEKIE;  OR,  THE  KI.IXIR  OF  GOLD,"  by  Mrs. 
C.  A.  Warficid,  being  the  first  volume  of  the  AuU-fir1*  Xcw  Eilitian  of  Mrt.  WarMtft 
Cflebi-alrrl  H'ortot,  is  published  this  day.  It  is  complete  in  one  large  duodecimo  volume 
of  Eight  Hundred  pages,  containing  the  whole  of  the  two  volumes  as  originally 
published,  both  volumes  being  now  complete  in  one,  and  sold  at  the  low  price  of  $1.75 
for  the  complete  work,  iu  place  ol  $J.lri)  as  formerly. 

From  Marion  Ifa.rlnn-1,  anDirrr  nf  "Alone,"  "/TiWrfen  Path,"  etc. 
"  As  to  Mrs.  Warfield's  wonderful  liook,  the  '  Household  of  Bonrerie,'  I  have  read  It 
twice— the  second  time  more  carefully  than  the  first— and  I  use  the  term  '  wonderful,* 
because  it  !>est  expresses  the  feeling  uppermost  in  my  mind,  both  while  reading  and 
thinking  it  over.  As  a  pr>ce  of  imaginative  writing,  I  have  seen  nothing  to  equal  it 
since  the  days  of  Edgar  A.  Po<>,  an-1  I  doubt  whether  he  could  have  sustained  Mmself 
and  the  reader  through  a  look  of  half  the  size  of  the  '  Household  of  Bonverie.'  I  was 
literally  hurried  through  it  by  my  intense  sympathy,  my  devouring  curiosity — it  was 
more  than  interest.  I  read  everywhere — between  the  courses  of  the  hotel-table,  on 
the  boat,  in  the  care— until  I  had  swallowed  the  last  line.  This  is  no  common  occur- 
rence  with  a  veteran  romance  reader  like  myself." 

From  George  Riplry't  Reriew  cf  "  The  Household  of  Rottwic"  in  Harper's  Magazine. 
"'The  Household  of  Bouverie'  betrays  everywhere  a  daring  boldness  of  conception 
singular  fertility  ot  illustration,  and  a  combined  beauty  and  vigor  of  expression,  which 
it  would  be  difficult  to  match  in  any  recent  works  of  fiction.  In  these  days,  when  .ho 
most  milk-and-watery  platitudes  are  so  often  welccmed  as  sibylline  inspirations,  it  is 
somewhat  refreshing  to  m.-ft  with  a  fomnle  novel-writer  who  displays  the  unmistakable 
fire  of  genius,  however  terrific  its  brightness." 


K3~  The  Author's  New  Edition  of  "TVie  tfowehiM  of  Bouvfri?"  is  for  sale  by  sii 
Booksellers ;  or  copies  of  it  will  be  sent  at  once  to  any  one,  to  any  place,  postage  pro- 
paid,  on  remitting  the  price  of  the  work,  $1.75,  in  a  letter,  to  the  Publishers, 
T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS, 

306   ClIESTNCT  STREET;    PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


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colored  Berlin  patterns,  12  mammoth  colored  fashion  plates,  24  pages  of  music,  and 
900  wood  cuts. 

Great  improvements  will  be  made  in  1876.  Among  them  will  be  a  series  of 
illustrated  articles  on  the  Great  Exhibition  at  Philadelphia,  which  will  alone  be 
worth  the  subscription  price.  They  will  be  appropriately  called 

THE  CENTENNIAL  IN  PEN  AND  PENCIL! 

The  immense  circulation  of  "Peterson"  enables  its  proprietor  to  spend  more 
money  on  embellishments,  stories,  &.C.,  <to.,  than  any  other.  It  gives  more  for  Ike 
•money  t/tan  any  in  the  world.  Its 

THRILLING  TALES  AND  NOVELETTES 

Are  the  best  published  anywhere.  All  the  most  popular  writers  are  employed  to  write 
originally  fnr  "  Peterson."  In  1876.  in  addition  to  the  usual  quantity  of  short  stories, 
FIVE  ORIGINAL  COPYRIGHT  NOVELETTES  will  be  given,  by  Mrs.  Ann  8. 
Stuphens,  Frank  Lee  Benedict,  Mrs.  F.  II.  Burnett,  and  others. 

Mammoth  Colored  Fashion  Plates 

Ahead  of  all  others.  Theue  plates  are  engraved  on  steel,  TWICE  THE  USUAL  SIZE,  and 
are  unequaled  for  beauty.  They  will  be  superbly  colored.  Also,  Household  and 
other  receipts;  in  short,  everything  interesting  to  ladies. 

JV.  B. — A  t  the  publisliernow  prepays  the  pottage  to  all  mail  tubseriben,  "Peterson" 

is  CHEAPER  THAN  KV£R  J  in  fact  is  THE  CilZAPtST  IN  THE  WORLD. 


TERMS  (Always  in  Advance)  $2.00  A  YEAR. 

*»- LIBERAL  OFFERS  FOR  CLUBS.-®* 

_  „       .        _         c_  _n  (  "With  a  copy  of  the  premium  mezzotint  (21  x  2C) 

2  Copies  for    $3.«O  j  ,:Cmlim^1  MORNING."  a  fire  dollar  engraving,  to 

4'80  (  the  persou  getting  up  the  Club. 

4  Conies  for    &6.SO  f  With  an  extra  copy  of  tho  Magazine  for  1876,  as 

7  'T  "        ll.OO     t    a  premium,  to  the  JLTSOU  getting  up  the  Club. 

5  Copies  for    8*4.50     f        With  both  ar.  extra  c")'.v  of  the  Magazine  for  1KT6, 

8  "  "        12.5O    •{     nn.i  the  preMi'u-i  IM^ZOI  .r.t.a.fire  dollar  engraving, 
13        «  "       1S.OO     (    to  the  ptjrsoii  getting  up  the  Club. 

Address,  post-paid, 

CHARLES  J.  PETERSON, 

806  Chestnut  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
JKf  Specimens  Bent  gratis  to  those  wishing  to  gat  up  clubs. 


A  NEW  BOOK,  BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF  "THE  HOUSEHOLD  OF  BOUVERIE." 

HESTER  HOWARD'S  TEMPTATION. 

A    SOUL'S    STORY. 
BY   MRS.    C.    A.    WARFIELD. 

Author  of  "The  Household    of   Bouverie;    or,  The  Elixir  of  Gold,"  "A  Double 
Wedding;  or,  How  She  Was  Won,"  etc. 

Complete  in  One  iMrgn  Duodecimo  Volume.    Hound  in  Morocco 
Cloth,  Full  Gilt  Bach.    1'rlce  $1.75. 

HESTER    HOWARD'S    TEMPTATION. 

T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS.  Philadelphia.,  having  concluded  an  arrangement 
with  MRS.  C.  A.  WARFIELD,  the  well-known  Southern  writer,  and  author  of 
"THE  HOUSEHOLD  OF  1  OUVE1UE,"  they  L;nc  Leo  .me  the  future  publishers 
of  all  her  works,  and  they  take  great  pleasure  in  announcing  to  the  public  that  they 
have  published  this  day  an  Entire  A>H>  Wurb  from  her  pen,  under  the  title  of 
"HESTER  HOWARD'S  TEMPTATION',"  wHch  she  has  been  engaged  in  writing 
and  preparing  for  the  press  for  the  last  eighteen  m<m'hs.  This  work  has  been  pro- 
nounced by  critics,  and  all  (..there  who  have  ivad  it.  to  be  superior  to  her  celebrated 
work,  "The  Household  of  Bouverie."  It  is  issued  in  one  large  duodecimo  volume, 
In  uniform  style  and  size  with  "The  Household  of  Bouverie,"  and  "A  Doiiblo 
Wedding;  or,  How  Shu  Was  Won,"  etc.,  and  is  bouud  in  morocco  cloth,  gilt  sida 
and  back,  price  $1.75. 

A  DOUBLE  WEDDING;   OB,  HOW  SHE  WAS  WON. 

A  DOUBLE  WEDDING;   OR,  HOW  SHK  WAS  WON.     An  Entire  New  Work,  by 

Mrs.  C.    A.    Warfield,  n     nor  of  "The  iloiisoliold  of  Bniivrie,"  and    trner  before 

published,  is  issued  this  day,  C"mplete  in   one  large  duodecimo  volume,  bound  in 

morocco  cloth,  gilt  back  and  side,  price  §1.7">. 

AUTHOR'S  EDITION  OF  MRS.  WARFIELD'S  BOOKS. 
T.  B.  PETERSON  A  BROTH  KRS,  beside  publish  In;;  in  future  all  the  new  work* 
written  by  Mrs.  C.  A.  Warfleld,  have  in  press,  and  will  issue  at  once,  The  Author'*  Xe«> 
and  Revised  EdiH-n  nf  all  of  Mrs.  Warfielifs  farmer  II 'i/rks.  Each  book  in  this 
edition  will  be  complete  In  one  large  duodecimo  volume,  in  uniform  style  with 
"  Hester  Howard's  Temptation,"  and  "A  Double  Wedding,"  and  will  be  printed  on  the 
finest  white  paper,  and  bound  in  morocco  cloth,  gilt  back  and  side,  and  be  published  at 
the  low  price  of  81-75  a  volume,  in  place  of  $.'.00  a  volume,  as  they  formerly  were. 

THE  HOUSEHOLD  OF  BOUVERIE. 

THE  HOUoKHOLD  OF  BOUVEKIE;  OR,  TUB  ELIXIU  OF  GOLD,  is  the  first 
volume  of  the  Aitilior's  Nrto  Rlilinn  of  Mrs.  War/tf.ltTs  Works.  It  is  published  this 
day,  complete  in  one  large  duodecimo  volume  of  Eifrht  Hundred  pages,  containing  the 
whole  of  the  two  volumes  as  originally  issued,  both  volumes  being  now  complete  in 
one,  and  sold  at  the  low  price  of  S1.75  for  the  complete  work. 


£3-  Above  books  are  for  sale  by  all  Booksellers.  Copies  of  either  one,  or  all  of 
the  above  books,  will  be  sent  at  once  to  any  one,  to  any  place,  postage  pre-paid,  on 
remitting  their  price  in  a  letter  to  the  Publishers, 

T.  B.  PETERSON  &  BROTHERS, 

U06  CHESTXUT  STREKT,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


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